Moore Hours

All the Crazy Uncles

2012-01-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

I’m not a political activist. I might manage to see the evening news or five minutes of the Today show. So I’m certainly not an expert. What I am is an independent and a voter, which means everyone wants me to fall for them. I’ve voted for Republicans and Democrats in the past. I am “conservative” on some issues and “liberal” on some issues. That makes me a moderate, right?

Tomorrow is the SC Republican primary, and SC is overwhelmingly Republican, so there will be a lot of action. From my brief exposure to the candidates at this point, they all look like someone you’d meet at a family reunion.

Newt Gingrich: He’d be the smartest guy in the family, hands down. Everyone knows he’s the smartest. Problem is, he’s gotten drunk at so many parties and gotten caught doing so many dumb things that no one is sure what he might do next. So even though everyone likes to talk to him, they’re just waiting for him to embarrass the family on YouTube.

Ron Paul: The old guy who is the favorite of all the teenagers because he says the craziest stuff. Family reunions are super boring, but this guy at least makes it interesting. He says stuff that just might be true but everyone just shakes their head at him. He comes off as funny and harmless with a touch of crazy.

Mitt Romney: Mr. Success with the good job and beautiful wife and perfect family. Any yet, no one wants to hang out with him. He does everything he can to get people to like him, but nothing works and he just can’t understand why. (Hint: It might have something to do with how he seems condescending and snippy with those not as successful.) It’s painfully obvious that he’s still an insecure teenager craving approval and he just might throw a tantrum if he doesn’t get it.

Rick Santorum: The best dad ever. He’s good looking, nice, and makes you feel safe. A fine, upstanding member of the family and the community. Sadly, he's also kind of vanilla and blends into the wall. Everyone likes him a lot but no one remembers anything he says. After the reunion is over, no one can remember if he was there.

If you’re reading this, and getting upset at my assessments, just calm down. It’s all in fun. All of these men have served in admirable ways. I might vote for one of these guys in the future. Or I might not. I’m just giving a light hearted opinion about our political process.

ESPN and beyond

2012-01-10T09:00:00.001-08:00

I’ve finally decided that I just have to admit that I like sports. I like going to sports events and I like playing them with my kids and yes, I like watching SportsCenter and even some of those other shows on ESPN. Some people will think this is a silly thing to admit, since I am competitive at most everything. Also, I was a middling softball player in high school. It’s true that I’ve never been the girl who thought you scored touchdowns in baseball, but I’ve also never really followed current sports news closely either. However, since the kids have been born, I’ve watched a lot more sports. The Food Network and ESPN have been deemed “safe” grown up channels for the kiddos. The news is not safe. Random sitcom re-runs are not safe. So I’m now ready to admit that I actually like it!

In the past few years we’ve been to more “big market” events… a Red Sox game at Fenway, a Cubs game at Wrigley, the Carolina game at the DeanDome a few weeks ago. These have made me realize that it is perfectly normal for people of all walks of life to love a particular team and sport. Women wear their team jerseys with pride! I’ve never really lived in a big market area where a community rallied around one team, and I think that really is a bigger deal than I realized. Boston lives and breathes the Red Sox. The Chapel Hill area loves UNC. Even the Cubs (who are terrible) have a great fan base. Asheville just doesn’t have a particular big deal team. I think I’m sad about that – minor league stuff just isn’t the same, and I’d really enjoy pulling for a team along with my friends. I know, we’re the community that rallies around eating organic and fair trade and being green, which is really great. I just wish we also lived closer to a sports team that all the community also loved.

But I’ll take watching exciting TV (NFL playoffs!) and teaching the kids the small amount I know about how to play. And I won’t hide that I can talk somewhat knowledgably about various teams. We’ll keep going to various ball games – mostly kid stuff, but hopefully other games, too. Maybe I’ll have a fantasy football team one day, even though I don’t understand it!

7 days later...

2012-01-01T16:56:00.000-08:00

Christmas pictures! We opened presents on Christmas morning at the Everette's in SC. Yes, we believe in Santa Claus, though I'm not sure how long it will last. Anna asks too many hard questions, and I'm not so great at avoiding them, and we don't want to directly lie. So we talk a lot about St. Nicholas and how he gave presents because he knew God loved him.

But I do love the magic of Christmas morning, just like I love Christmas movies (Elf! A Christmas Carol! It's a Wonderful Life!)

The (used) iPod touch with educational apps was a big hit! Thanks, Beth Morgan!

Anna got 2 "American Girl" dolls. (Not really - they're from Target, but don't tell her!) However, mostly what she wanted was to hold new baby cousin Mary Eleanor. Seriously - she did not let go of the child. It was often a fight between Anna and Grandma over who got to hold the baby.

These boys were hilarious cousins who became "best friends". They bonded over SpiderMan and other various superheroes. Joshua still loves all things related to any kind of ball. Football has been the newest, as it is on TV the most. (But that will change with the onset of college basketball!!)

He broke 4 whiffle balls over 3 days. No kidding - cracked them right open! Crazy bat speed!

"Better Than an iPhone"

2011-12-31T17:03:00.001-08:00

This is what Anthony said about his Christmas present, and made me feel really good. It is hard to compete with an iPhone, after all, but I hoped it would be fun to go to a game and show the kids where Daddy went to college. We had really good seats on the floor level and watched Carolina beat up on Elon. Honestly, I was worried that this might be one of those experiences that sounds fun, but turns out to be not-so-great - like carving a pumpkin. I was so happy to be so wrong! The kids had a GREAT time and were really well behaved (read: very little whining). Joshua loved every minute - the cheering, the dunks, the free throws - everything. It was so fun to see him almost giddy.

Anna has declared herself to be forever a Tar Heel, with Clemson and Appalachian State being further down on the list. She also says Tyler Zeller is her favorite player. For those who know anything about the UNC campus, here we are at the famous Old Well. There were TONS of people walking around campus prior to the game. That is to be expected, of course, but it was really funny how obvious it was that they were all alumni with their kids. We fit right in with the over 30 + 2 kids crowd + decked out in Carolina blue all walking around Franklin St.

Hill Hall is where Anthony spent most of his angst driven days with all his angst-y and creative music friends. Thankfully, they've all grown up and found it is okay to be happy and produce good music at the same time.

All Dressed Up

2011-12-26T07:40:00.001-08:00

I'm a day behind, but my sister has some great pictures of the 4 cousins on her blog: BuckinghamPalace

More to come!

Andrew Peterson and Dollywood

2011-12-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

This weekend was a whole lot of Christmas for us! Friday night was Andrew Peterson and Saturday was Dollywood. It was a pretty weird experience for Anthony and I.

Andrew Peterson is a singer / songwriter that I really like. Anthony has barely heard of him, but knows I like him, and so Anthony jumped on tickets that were offered to us. Andrew does an amazing job of weaving together the Old Testament story of a people who know they need to be rescued, and then the New Testament story of that Rescuer has come in the person of Jesus. The entire evening was a bunch of performers who love telling stories and who love that this one of Jesus is true. It made me think more about how I need to be rescued and how wonderful it is that God came to earth to take of that.
You should go buy the CD. No kidding.

I love cheesy Christmas right up there with the best of them. I can recite most of "White Christmas" and "It's a Wonderful Life" and the kids have to tell me to stop singing with the Christmas songs on the radio. Hence, I was really excited about going to Dollywood. More cheesy Christmas with tacky shows and the Polar Express ride and apple cider!!!

However, by the end of the day I wasn't so big on Dollywood Christmas. It was only sort of fun - the weather was too cold and it was too crowded. And the biggest surprise, I didn't just love the cheesy shows. They were a bit too much for me - especially the one the morphed from sleigh bells to the Nativity. However, Anna and Josh loved the shows, so I must remember it is more fun to be wide eyed child and not a jaded cynical grown up.
Outside the Polar Express ride - the best ride ever, according to the kids.

If we go back next year, it'll be on a weekday that is in the 50s!

Chinese Water Torture

2011-12-11T15:23:00.000-08:00

This is what Anthony calls the kids constant no-stop request for our time and attention. Parents of young children know what I'm talking about.

Mommy, can you play a game with me?
Daddy, where are you?
Mommy, will you play Barbies with me?
Daddy, let's read a book.
Mommy, what are you doing?
Daddy, can you play football?
Mommy, can you listen to me read this book?
Daddy, can you watch me play the piano?

On and on it goes. I realize it sounds bad that I don't necessarily want do all these things, but I do want to point out that I could play baseball for 2 hours and it doesn't matter. Joshua doesn't grasp that I need to go inside to get dinner ready or fold laundry or some other unimportant item. So after a while it gets a little old and we often tell them NO. On our not so great days we get sarcastic. On our really not so great days don't even conceal that we don't like playing.

But here's what I've noticed... Anna and Joshua are really good at forgiving us. No matter how many times we refuse their requests in an unloving way, no matter how often we speak to them with unhelpful dripping sarcasm, they still come back for more. They just really want their mom and dad to play with them. I find that pretty interesting. In the grown up world, if someone treated us like that, you'd just walk away and not look back. But God has wired Anna and Josh to still really love being with us.

There's some kind of wonderful lesson in there for us.

If We Make it to December...

2011-12-10T16:22:00.000-08:00

For the life of a church music director, it is much harder to get TO December as opposed to get THROUGH December. Anthony always puts together an amazing Christmas concert, but it is a lot of work to pull it off. Since he is the glue that holds it all together, he must be at all the rehearsals for all involved parties (dancers, instrumentalists, choir, soloists, sound checks, etc.) You'd think I'd remember this pattern this after 8 years, but every November I am surprised at how tired I am, and how annoyed I am that I don't get much of Anthony's attention. (Obviously, I think it is all about me!!)

The program went off very well. It is Trinity, so we always have some weird issues going on behind the scenes. And for the first time, I am willing to admit out loud that I prefer Anthony's choral arrangements over all others. Previously I'd always tried to be diplomatic and say that writers are talented, and that is true. But the twist is that Anthony's arrangements make me appreciate choral music, and that is a big deal because I'm much more of a loud rock-n-roll band type for church music. I just like his stuff best.

As always, we did make it to December, and after the program I am always very happy for us to get more quality time as a family. Anthony has been quite the dad - building trains and giving piano lessons, and taking me on a date to see Andrew Peterson in concert (woo hoo!). He's also cleaned up a lot of puke, as both kids have had some issues recently.

Christmas is all about getting good pictures, right? Here are the grandparents and SuperDad Anthony.

HTC Thunderbolt!

2011-12-02T07:34:00.000-08:00

I now own a smartphone. No, it isn’t an iPhone. And yes, I know if you don’t have an iPhone you don’t have an iPhone. I don’t need my Apple crazy friends to point that out. Black Friday ran such good deals on Droids, so I decided to pay attention and saved the cost of the phone. Of course the salesperson says it is better than an iPhone, but I’m quite certain if I’d said I wanted an iPhone they would have told me how wonderful it is as well.

One week into the purchase, and the jury is still out. It is fun, but I’m kinda scared of it – I’m just waiting for the kids to drop it or I’ll lose it or something equivalent. And I’m quite sure I don’t know how to use this thing to the fullest potential. I feel like I need to take a tutorial class on just the basics of how to hit the right keys when texting or how to make a bookmark. Recommendations are welcome on what apps to get (other than Angry Birds and FaceBook) that will help me enjoy using this new piece of technology.

Also… I can totally see how it can suck you in and I don’t have to interact with real people. For the first few days of ownership I didn’t talk to my family! As much as I enjoy FaceBook and appreciate the vast amount of information on the internet, it can easily call me away from real life. I mean, who wants to read out loud to their kids when I could instead be reading FB statuses of people I haven’t talked to in 15 years?

I think this phone will be a good thing, but I don’t want to be serving it – I want it to serve me! Any advice is welcome.

Hostess with the Most-ess

2011-11-26T07:37:00.001-08:00

This was our first year to ever host Thanksgiving. It only involved the Everette grandparents coming to our house, but it was the first time that we haven't gone to someone else's house. However, I am still not a real grown up and told my mom that she had to cook the turkey (since I have no idea how!). All the food was very good, but I'm wondering when kids start to appreciate Thanksgiving food? Anna and Joshua would only eat the turkey and bread. My family is rather well known for being picky eaters, so I suppose they come by it honestly. But the whole Thanksgiving day is rather weird for kids - they don't get to eat at their normal time, and when they do get to eat it is weird mashed up food they don't recognize - too many casseroles! However, the Lil Smokies in crescent rolls saved it for them and all was good.

Anna also thought the term "Black Friday" was very strange and she did not at all appreciate staying home with only boys while Grandma and Mommy went shopping. She even called Grandma to ask her to come home. We didn't go out at midnight, but we did get a few deals. The Everette girls do enjoy shopping, so I'm sure Anna will join our ranks soon enough.

The discovery of the day was that Joshua is also a mad football player! We know he loves sports in general, and you have to play football on Thanksgiving, right? The boy is quite good at catching and throwing, and he loved the idea of running plays for a touchdown. I'm very curious to see if this sports stuff sticks with him or if he'll turn all gangly and awkward at puberty and decide he hates it all.

By the end of Friday our house was all decorated for Christmas! Hooray for a husband who can work fast!!!

Beautiful App State

2011-11-09T13:52:00.000-08:00

I know not everyone has a great experience at college, but I really had a great time. I really loved my time at App. State. I still think of my friends from there on a daily basis and I can remember conversations I had 20 years ago better than conversations I had last week. It wasn't all perfect, but God was very good to me in those 4 years.

This past weekend we drove to Boone for the first time with the kids. It is always good to see the campus and the town. Construction changes a lot of the landscape, but thankfully Sanford mall is still the same.

Anthony with the kids on the mall.

On the wall in front of the cafeteria. They've made a lot of construction changes. I wonder if the chicken fingers still taste the same.

I spent lots of time sitting on the wall outside the College of Business (Raley Hall). The view hasn't changed - still a parking lot looking toward the stadium residence halls.

In my mind's eye I can see myself as a 20 year old wandering around campus. Sometimes I still think I'm that age. (I'm not - in fact I'm 39 next week!)

Young Life at The Cove

2011-11-03T15:52:00.000-07:00

A couple weeks ago we went to the local Young Life banquet at The Cove (aka Billy Graham Training Center). I was never part of Young Life, and after watching the slide show, I am pretty sure I don't qualify - I'm just not fun and crazy. I don't require extreme entertainment, I think reading is fun, and I don't like to get messy. Yes, I was like this as a 16 year old. But I do love being able to support Young Life and am very happy their ministry exists. As a history nerd, I particularly appreciated how they tied in the history of Young Life and the evangelical movement of the last 50 years. It's all about perspective - understanding that my little life in my little town is not all that is going on in this world. God has been at work long before I showed up.

Asheville is a beautiful place, and The Cove is an especially beautiful place. Before we left, we walked through the Billy Graham Hall of Fame. That's just what I call it - it is the history of Billy Graham's crusades over the last several decades. Again, history pops up. The work and vision of Billy Graham is really impressive, and even if the crusade style evangelism has trailed off, the difference it made in the history of the evangelical church cannot be denied.

My favorite picture was an image of Ruth Graham's gravestone. There is a Chinese image (she was an MK in China) of righteousness, her name and dates, and the best quote I've ever seen on a gravestone:

"End of Construction - Thank you for your patience."

I seriously might have to steal that. I love it. People can have a perfect picture of Ruth Graham all they want. She obviously was never under such an illusion. She knew she was a work in progress - under construction - right until the very end.

Picture Day part 2

2011-10-28T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here are actual pictures of the past few weeks. Fall in Asheville really is wonderful.

Picture Day

2011-10-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

Oh, the joys of Picture Day.
Part 1, Tuesday, Joshua's day: In our house, I pick out the clothes for the kids. Anthony just doesn't like that job. So I set out a nice pair of jeans and a striped polo shirt (because I don't dress him in skinny jeans and a western shirt) for Josh. A couple hours later Anthony calls me and mentions that Josh didn't like the striped shirt, so he changed the shirt. I realize at this moment that I didn't mention to Anthony that it was Picture Day. Here's our conversation:
"What is he wearing now?"
"The Penguin T-Shirt."
"The Penguin T-Shirt?"
"Yes. It's fun and he likes it."
"Today is Picture Day."
PAUSE
"I guess we won't buy those pictures."

Part 2, Tuesday evening, Anna's Picture Day eve: both kids are taking a bath and playing with bath toys, so I'm doing various odd jobs. I hear Anna say, "Mommy, come watch this." Anthony goes in so I ignore it until I hear Anthony sound shocked about something. I go in to find that Anna has wrapped a nice chunk of her hair around the propeller of a wind up submarine.

She thought it was funny.
Well, she did until Anthony couldn't get it out. And couldn't get it out. And couldn't get it out. It was all wrapped around this submarine. I wish I had taken a picture, but that would have caused more emotional trauma.

My immediate thought: tomorrow is Picture Day. And she's going to have a huge bald spot. (No compassion for my child's current problem. Just worried about how she'll look in pictures.)
After lots of crying and LOTS of work, Anthony dismantled and destroyed the submarine.
Then we're left with a crazy knot of red hair. I mean crazy knot.

My immediate thought: tomorrow is Picture Day. And she's going to have a huge bald spot. (Second time I've thought this. I'm such a great mom.)
So we get to work on the knot. It took about 15 minutes, but it does all come undone. No bald spot.

I really hope next year isn't so eventful.

My Latest Famous Person

2011-10-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

For as long as I can remember, I've been a reader of biographies. The first book I remember checking out from the library was "George Washington: Boy Soldier". Something like that. I must have read a hundred or so of those written-for-kids biographies. I still remember a lot of them. It comes in handy when watching Jeopardy. (Don't worry, I also read a lot Trixie Belden mysteries and Sweet Valley High romances.)

As an adult, I still love to read biographies and various history books – this is my favorite section of Barnes and Noble to browse when I have the time. Most recently I finished “Bonhoeffer” by Eric Metaxas. This book received a lot of attention, and rightly so. I’ve known the basic story of Bonhoeffer for a while (German pastor who died because of plotting against Hitler) and I know he’s famous for defining cheap grace in “Cost of Discipleship”. But let me say loud and clear that knowing basic facts do not at all give justice to this extraordinary man. I was fascinated by the post WWI German culture, how Hitler convinced so many people to follow him, but also how many Germans did not at all follow him and wanted him gone. Bonhoeffer stood very tall very early on as one who could clearly see Hitler for the maniac that he was. But he didn’t simply remain an aristocratic academic – he acted on his convictions and led the church to hold fast to the gospel.

I know some people think I’m crazy for reading stuff like this, but I just can’t get away from it. Fiction novels are wonderful, no doubt about it. A story like “Bonhoeffer” seems fictional (who could make this stuff?), but it is TRUE!

For those readers who like biographies and history, this is a winner. Don’t be intimidated by the number of pages!

Kindergarten Pumpkin Patch

2011-10-13T15:14:00.000-07:00

Today Anna's class walked to the local pumpkin patch for their first field trip, and I joined as a chaperone. I never thought I'd be one of those parents who wants to go everywhere with my kids, but I am! I really love seeing all the kids and how they interact - good, bad, and loud. We are so pleased with Anna's experience with Kindergarten thus far, and we're really enjoying watching her learn a ton and grow into being a "big kid". She loves showing off her ability and that she can read all the 1st grade words. She loves all the different aspects of school - music, art, playing with new kids. We are a bit concerned that she claim to have 3 boyfriends, but her dad will keep an eye on that!

The best thing I heard yesterday was from the little girl that was assigned to walk with us. She seemed very quiet, so I was asking her some easy questions. Then randomly she said, "Anna plays with me." I like that. I hope Anna is always the kid who plays with everyone, including the quiet kids. (I just don't want her to think she needs 3 boyfriends. Whatever.)

I know we'll supplement the education as we discern what areas aren't her strengths, as I don't expect a teacher to be able to notice everything about every student. Mostly, we want her to be a happy well adjusted little girl who knows God loves her. What an adventure this parenting thing is!

Welcome Mary Eleanor Buckingham

2011-10-13T15:08:00.000-07:00

So I'm a little late on this, as she was born 10 days ago. But we're so glad Mary Eleanor has joined our family! Anna is excited to have a baby girl cousin. Now we just need to stop calling her "Hiccup" (as in "How to Train Your Dragon).

October 5, 2011

2011-10-06T14:12:00.000-07:00

Steve Jobs died yesterday. Pretty much everyone with access to any media knows this by now. He revolutionized technology. Fred Shuttlesworth also died yesterday. I'm sad that it is barely a blip on the news, as a result of Steve Jobs. I'm not trying to take away from Steve Jobs - he was an amazing innovator and my life wouldn't be the same without him. There aren't many men like him. And it is particularly sad that he was only 56 and his 4 kids don't have a dad any more.

However, I wish Fred Shuttlesworth got more air time. He was a civil rights leader in the 60s, right up there with MLK Jr. He revolutionized American society, especially southern society. He refused to let certain "ways of life" remain, despite being beaten and threatened repeatedly, and from what I can discern, he did it as a result of understanding the gospel. As with Steve Jobs, my life wouldn't be the same without him, and there aren't many men like him. Learn more about him here.

We need people like Steve Jobs and Fred Shuttlesworth. They improve life for everyone.

Great Expectations

2011-10-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

This was one of those weekends that looked great in theory, but not so much in reality.

Expected: Friday afternoon/evening we have Fall Festival at Anna's school. This is the normal thing: inflatables, face painting, various games for kids. Fun stuff for kids. We're looking foward to it. A minor hitch is that Anthony can't join us until after a rehearsal dinner, but that's no big deal. We'll have plenty to do and get to see lots of Anna's new school friends. We've been talking about this for at least 2 weeks.

Unexpected: at 4:15 (15 minutes before we leave for the school), Joshua fell off the playground at our new house and landed on his arm. He screamed like crazy for a really long time - much longer than normal. Plus he wouldn't squeeze my hand or put any weight on it. So off we go to drop Anna at the wedding rehearsal and I take Josh to Urgent Care. When you're 5 years old, weddings are beautiful and fascinating, but 1.5 hours of wedding practice isn't so interesting. And when you're 3 years old, waiting in Urgent Care for 2 hours gets old very quickly. You know we were all having fun. Finally we all are finished and we get to the Fall Festival for the last 45 minutes. I should mention that a cold front came through around 5:00 and it was about 45 degrees and we were not adequately dressed. This means we were FREEZING. We finally collapse at home around 8:00.

Expected: Saturday morning soccer game, cool weather, Anthony plays at an afternoon wedding. I have the brilliant idea to make chili and cornbread for supper since it is so cold! I envision Anthony coming home and the house smells wonderful and we get to have a nice family night.

Unexpected: 5 year olds really do not like playing soccer in windy 40 degree weather. They all struggled through the game, but it wasn't pretty. Then beegins the great afternoon exchange. While Anthony takes care of lunch, I grocery shop at Wal-Mart. (Of course it is super crowded and everyone is in my way.) I arrive home and Anthony leaves for the wedding.
Later in the afternoon I start the chili and the spice mix explodes everywhere. I'm annoyed, but this is our supper, so I load up the kids for the local grocery store. They don't have what I need, but while there Anna announces she needs to use the restroom. The bathroom at Bi-Lo? Blech. I hate public bathrooms. Then we go to the next local grocery store. (It is so fun to load up the kids in the cold for the 3rd time.) They ALSO are out of the spices. Seriously???? I call Anthony because by now he should be done with the wedding. Of course he doesn't answer my first 10 calls and I am totally annoyed. Finally he answers and responds to my spices request with, "No, there are some in the pantry". I am snippy and told him to go to WalMart and he figured out something was wrong.
We ate chili 2 hours later than normal, and with me being very out of sorts after 2 days of not fun.

Great Expectations are not helpful sometimes. Life just doesn't cooperate and I don't like to be disappointed.

The Hunt for October

2011-10-01T17:47:00.000-07:00

The entire season comes down to the final games. And the result: the most amazing night of baseball in recent history. 2 historic collapses. A new "Shot Heard 'Round the World" by Evan Longoria. 3 games going crazy at the same time.

And I had gone to bed at 10:30pm and missed it all.

The rain delay was on for the Red Sox, the Braves were going to extra innings, and the Yankees were up by 7 runs, so I wasn't worried about missing anything. The next morning I turned on SportsCenter and kept yelling "NO WAY" at the television. Nights like are baseball legends and people will talk about for years. Even non-baseball people know what happened. The Rays come back, the Braves super awesome rookie closer loses it, and the Red Sox are down to the final strike and can't close the deal.

Now my favorite teams are eliminated from the playoffs, but they kind of deserved that. I'll still watch, though. Hopefully there will be more crazy games.

We always have CNBC playing at the Bank (very exciting, let me tell you). This is how you know it was a big deal: CNBC actually ran a story on the night of baseball.

Soccer Mom

2011-09-21T17:40:00.000-07:00

We've finally entered into the wide world of sports... Anna is on a soccer team. I was worried she might not like it, but she took off like crazy! And I must admit, it was quite fun to watch her run around on a team - even if it is a sport that neither of us really understands the rules other than "don't use your hands".

Joshua also wanted to play. We didn't do a good job of telling him on the front end that only Anna would be playing.

I am officially a soccer mom, and proud of it! Now I just need a minivan with the "I used to be cool" bumpersticker.

Better Late than Never...

2011-09-14T15:12:00.000-07:00

This is the bike riding video I promised a few months ago. I kinda forgot about it because my uploads weren't working. But Michelle directed me to Vimeo!

Enjoy, grandparents and those who get a kick out of wobbly bike riders.

2 wheels from dawn everette on Vimeo.

3 Weeks Notice

2011-09-13T13:27:00.000-07:00

3 weeks into school… what a whirlwind… finish remodeling a house... Pack our house... Start kindergarten... Anthony’s evening work schedule begins again... Move... Unpack... Try to get a new routine…

TOO MUCH for me to handle in 3 weeks!!! However, the kids have done well, and Anna has seemed to thrive at school. She loves being social and her teacher seems very kind.

Things I’ve learned about Anna and Kindergarten in 3 weeks:

School makes us all tired! Early morning for me and also she’s TIRED in the afternoon. We’ll get through it, but I didn’t anticipate this fatigue (and her subsequent grumpiness) very well.

Joshua has adjusted surprisingly well. I was worried he’d be very upset. He does miss her and wants to pick her up right away, but he does fine at Preschool on his own.

Our morning routine still isn’t set very well. I’ve forgotten my lunch (not hers) 3 times in the last week. I blame moving to a new house.

I can’t wait to meet the kids in her class. They have the best names. My personal favorite is Whisper. Love Asheville hippies.

We’re still trying to figure out the best time to get her to talk. It seems to be bedtime or in the car. Any time Josh isn’t around. She likes her daddy the best. I need to learn to ask better questions – a lot of the time she acts like I’m crazy to ask her anything. She doesn’t understand that I wish I could watch everything she does!

Anna is VERY into following the rules and getting her just rewards. I know this is a great thing (hopefully not in trouble very often), but as a good friend pointed out, I’m struggling theologically with this. We obviously want her to heart to dominate her actions – that she would be kind and compassionate, not just seeking to win every time. My friend told me she’d be okay, which is good, because I just see her turning in to a competitive mini-ME!

I now understand what extra-curricular activities are and that we cannot handle very many.

Dropping her off in the car line and watching her march in all by herself is much harder than I expected. She looks so small. But she insists she doesn’t need me (she even told me that she did NOT want Anthony or I to visit or eat lunch with her!!!).

Bottom line: we have a Ms. Independent on our hands. Good thing we also know a great and wonderful God.

It seems like all of this is totally normal for kindergarten, but it is certainly a new season for us to experience!

Old School

2011-09-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Remember this poem? Seems like I remember a lot of people had the poster in their dorm rooms back in college. Now that I have an actual kindergartner, I thought it was quite amusing and wise at the same time. I know it is only our first year in school, but I can already see how the time will go fast. This just isn’t the same as the baby phase when it seemed bedtime would never come.

All I Really Need To Know I Learned In Kindergarten by Robert Fulghum
Most of what I really need
To know about how to live
And what to do and how to be
I learned in kindergarten.
Wisdom was not at the top
Of the graduate school mountain,
But there in the sandpile at Sunday school.

These are the things I learned:

Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life -
Learn some and think some
And draw and paint and sing and dance
And play and work everyday some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world,
Watch out for traffic,
Hold hands and stick together.
Be aware of wonder.

The Big 4-0

2011-09-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Anthony is 40! He said this was the best birthday because it seemed to last a long time. Trinity’s choir had cake and ice cream for him 5 days before his birthday, we had family time on Friday, then we were taken out to Carabba’s on Saturday, and then on Sunday morning the whole church sang to him as he received a walking cane. It was capped by our small group wearing black and giving fun gifts, which included a Justin Bieber board game and a shirt that said “It took 40 years to look this good”. His actual birthday was rather subdued, with only a lunch date to Chik-Fil-A.

We’ve determined that the older you get, the less you know – arrogance from youth decreases and also you just plain can’t remember some things!

(Picture from the beach vacation because we’re still rather scattered and haven’t taken many pictures lately.)

Movin On Up

2011-08-30T18:17:00.000-07:00

Moving Day is upon us. Well, it is a few days away, but our house is pretty ridiculous right about now with random boxes everywhere and most most non heavy items getting moved to the new place throughout this week. Today I told Joshua to go play and he said he couldn't because there aren't any toys left. I realized he was right and let him "help" me pack.

We've worked really hard on our new house - lots of painting, new flooring, bathroom changes, taken down a wall (well, we just observed a friend do that). So hard that we forgot to take any pictures along the way, which is kind of sad. And now soon we'll be surrounded by the boxes in a different house and have no idea where our stuff is or why on earth we have a breadmaker. Really, I've been quite embarrassed by the amount of stuff that we have. Too many clothes, too many toys, and WAY too many kitchen items. (I'd say too many books, but that's just impossible.)

Now we feel like the Jeffersons and we get to Move On Up. Come on, sing it in your head... to the East side... to a deluxe apartment in the sky...

Kindergarten 2011

2011-08-20T08:18:00.000-07:00

The day finally arrived. Anna Kirby went to kindergarten at Haw Creek Elementary yesterday. Of course, this is as much about the parents as it is about the student, right? I'm proud to report that all of us did quite well.

We were all a bit nervous, but Anna walked right into her class and listened to her teacher and barely noticed when I left. And I walked right into her class and left her without an embarassing incident. In fact, dropping her off wasn't nearly as difficult as the rest of the day when I would wonder what she was doing all day with this teacher I don't know.

I know this growing up bit won't be easy for any of us, but we're excited to see where we are led in the journey.

First Years

2011-08-17T17:33:00.000-07:00

There are 2 times each year that I always think about college students. One is May - also known as chapter camp at Rockbridge (or Windy Gap) for InterVarsity folk. The other is mid August when school begins and freshmen enter into a whole new life. To be honest, I also think of the campus ministers who meet a zillion freshmen in 1 week, but that's another story. However, this mid August is different with back to school. Now it's about our cute redheaded 5 year old starting Kindergarten.

Facebook folk caused me to think that going to college for the first time might not be all that different than going to Kindergarten. Here's what I came up with...

1. Someone will cry. For Kindergarten, it might be the child. Or the parent and the child. For college, it will likely be the parent. Any doubt? It is impossible to watch Toy Story 3 and not cry.

2. Neither age listens very well to their parents. As Phil Ashley said, college freshmen probably listen less than Kindergartners.

3. The student is scared and nervous. A 5 year old will be more obvious, but the 18 year old is just as nervous and wants to do the right thing and get to the right place and not have people laugh at them.

4. Cafeteria food is not so good.

5. You need to know where the bathrooms are.

6. Back to School clothes are important.

7. School Supplies are always cool.

8. You have to make new friends and that is really daunting.

9. Your family adjusts to a new normal: a newly empty spot at the dinner table, waking up early, hearing about the new friends that they don't know and that makes a mother really nervous, and wondering what they do at school all that time.

10. Prayers by parents greatly increase around this time.

Ducks in a Row

2011-08-13T16:45:00.000-07:00

I'm good at being organized. Really, I am. That's why I love my job so much and that's why I wonder how some people (the less organized) can function. Other people are creative or brilliant or cool or handy. I'm organized. I'm not complaining - I'm kinda proud of it.

We bought a new house (well, new to us) and for the month of August we are on the remodel crusade - fresh paint, hardwood floors, take out a wall, etc. Pulling off something of this magnitude requires a lot of organization. Here I come to save the day! I create many to-do lists and to-buy-from-Home Depot lists and we are just fine. The house is actually coming along quite well.

I've heard and read in several places that your "idol" is whatever you think about in your spare time, but more than that, we worship whatever we think we make us "okay". Tim Keller talks about this a lot in "Counterfeit Gods". His sermons can be found here. Anthony and I have been aware that we are excited about this new house and having twice the square footage and thinking it will solve all our problems. So we've been on guard.

About a week ago, I was spinning my wheels and getting very wound up about so much to do and so little time and how in the world can we budget for all this, and it went through my head, "I'm so organized, why am I having all this trouble?" Ta Da! Idol revealed! I know it is comical, but I realized I'd been thinking my organizational skills would keep me from stress and make our family go smoothly through this transition and everything would be done right on time. Some people worship their family or job or stuff. Me? I think organization can save me. (Okay, I know I have other issues, this is just the most recent one to pop up.)

Here's the deal... our hearts always always always tend toward anything other than Jesus. Even silly things like salvation through organization. AND our hearts deceive us and we don't know we're doing it until it lets us down. In my case, I forget to pay a couple bills or I freak out because my planned schedule doesn't work. A heart fixed on having all ducks in a row may seem insignificant, but it reminds me of my need of grace, and that isn't insignificant.

The Deathly Hallows and The End

2011-08-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Now it is done. The final Harry Potter movie has come out. There is nothing left to look forward to in the Harry Potter series. Wait. Yes, there is! I own all the books! I can read them again and again! This is the mark of truly good literature - that you read it multiple times. So it isn't really over.

As a general rule, I don't take the HP movies too seriously. It is way too much to expect that moviemakers can get all the nuances of the novels into a movie. But they are generally quite admirable attempts to faithfully convey as much as they can. I was a bit disappointed with the end of this movie, though. I suppose I must admit it is because I love Severus Snape. He and Harry are heroes that will live forever in literature. And the end of Deathly Hallows part 2 didn't do him justice, because the final battle between Voldemort and Harry wasn't right. It was supposed to take place with everyone watching and Harry telling Voldemort about how brave and wonderful Snape was. The movie just had a dramatic shootout type of thing, which was fine. But I wanted watch all of Hogwarts hear about Snape's heroics out of his love for Lily. Oh, well. I can see it in my mind.

Such an excellent series with high class characteristics of love, sacrifice, and redemption. I will read the books again and again in the future.

America's pastime

2011-07-28T14:03:00.000-07:00

Some of the best summer activities are those related to water, at least in my estimation. I think a vast amount of Americans spend some time in the water - at the coast, in the pool, or at a lake. I always look forward to our family week at the beach. This year was especially fun, as I'm starting to get a glimpse that our kids will enjoy the beach as much as I do. Here are the vacation pictures.

3 happy kids

At 5, Anna has determined that she has conquered the waves. While this may not be entirely true according to her parents, she is quite impressive at jumping and riding them.

Joshua pretty much only wanted to play ball. Any kind of ball - paddleball, soccer, football.

Liam is happiest playing in the sand.

The elders spend their time sitting down.

Ten Things I (Re)Learned at the Beach This Year - Anthony

2011-07-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

10. I have a love/hate relationship with the water. Some of my bigeest fears involve drowning or scenes from Jaws/Jaws2, yet I love to play in the water and ride waves.

09. I could never live in a sandy climate. Sand is too pervasive and invasive.

08. In addition to advertising local buffets, Medieval Times show, and the latest hermit crab specials at Wings, those planes that fly over the crowded beaches can be used for marriage proposals. Hope she said yes, because that would be one awkward ride home.

07. If allowed, my daughter would frolic in the waves all day long. My son's spastic, daredevil, all-in attitude does not diminish in the presence of the mighty ocean.

06. In North Myrtle Beach it is against the law to wear a thong. Maybe next year...or not (see #9).

05. Yelling at the kids is an unhelpful parenting technique - in any location.

04. It is impossible to be the strangest looking person at the beach, as long as #6 is still true.

03. I am thankful for my wife.

02. Two words: Harry Potter

01. The heart of the matter is still the heart of the matter. There is not a vacation from sanctification, although I deceive myself into thinking I want one.

With or Without You

2011-07-06T06:58:00.001-07:00

I waited 6 months for my Christmas present – tickets to see U2 in concert at Vanderbilt. The best thing I can say is that it was definitely worth the wait. I do believe that was the biggest and best concert I’ve ever been to in my life. It is impossible to describe the entire thing, so here are just a few items to note:

1. They live up to the hype. U2 is good and the show is amazing.

2. If you aren’t really into U2 music, it doesn’t matter. You will still think this is an amazing concert – so says Anthony and my sister.

3. The originality of this concert is unbelievable. The reason it doesn’t matter if you like the music is that it is there is so much more going on other than just Bono singing. There are lights, movies, live camera action, electronics all swirling around you at the same time. I just sat there wondering, “Who came up with all of this and how does it work?”

4. Outdoor concerts in July are hot. A stadium with 45,000 people is SWELTERING, even at 9pm. It was the kind of hot where personal space is important and you don’t want anyone to touch you.

5. Apparently being the most popular rock band on earth doesn’t mean you reach a diverse population. I realize they are white boys from Ireland, but in a crowd of 45,000 I expected a few more people of color. I saw 1 black man and a handful of Asians. I’m not sure what that says – it’s just an observation.

6. All those white people who did show up looked exactly the same. It was freaky. Guys had on polos and cargo shorts or the hipster ones had on their black rimmed glasses, western snap up shirts, and beard stubble. Women’s clothes varied more, but mainly everyone was tan, in moderately good shape, with fancy flip flops. I think everyone looked the same because there wasn’t much age range. I’d guess the crowd was mostly 30s and 40s with some on either side thrown in. And if you can afford U2 tickets, you’re likely middle to upper middle class and shop at the same stores. I don’t think I could live in Nashville – I’m not put together enough. The Asheville freaks make me feel “normal”.

7. For the good and bad of it, they don’t let it be just a concert. You will learn about what is going on in the world, like it or not. On one hand, I know people get upset because they think Bono has a political agenda. On the other hand, he does attempt to push these thirtysomething rich white people to consider life outside of their bubble, and that’s a good thing.

8. Is he or isn’t he? The question evangelicals have been asking for 25 years. I’m not about to make a definitive conclusion about Bono’s faith. Given his background and his life and his songs, I think it is highly likely that Bono has a strong grasp of the gospel. However, I also think he probably has some wacky Oprah-esque theology floating in there. But I’m not the final authority.

9. These guys have been around for a long time and they are still cool and relevant and interesting. There’s something great about that, in a culture that seems to only value The Next Big Thing.

10. It was so worth it. A good way to say good bye to Nashville, as we are sad the Buckinghams are moving to The Middle.

Goodbye Training Wheels!

2011-06-18T14:09:00.000-07:00

We've been doing lots of bike riding these days. One day last week, Anna just took off on her two wheeler and she hasn't looked back! She can start, stop, ride bumps, race, and fall down very well. She's very proud of herself (as are her parents!).

Go Anna Kirby!

I made a cool video, but Blogger is apparently having problems getting it uploaded. I'll try again in a few days, for the grandparents.

In the Good Ol' Summertime

2011-06-18T13:52:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted many pictures from the summer, so here they are now. We've been busy having lots of fun!Discovering WATER GUNS!

Run through the sprinkler (since it was 1000 degrees but the pools weren't open yet!)

Grandma Mary retires! HOORAY!!!

Greenville Drive game

J loves his new bike

And the most important, THE POOL!

Exercise in Futility

2011-06-13T18:20:00.000-07:00

We're at a point where Joshua doesn't take a nap everyday. This is really quite nice, since now I don't have to rush home from preschool to get him to bed. However, it isn't so much fun when he gets overtired and super cranky.

A few days ago I let the kids have "rest time" on the couch and watch a video since we were going to the pool later that afternoon. I realize some supermoms don't have to rely on the TV to entertain their children, but I am no such supermom. I confess that I do let the kids watch some PBS shows and various G rated movies.

Well, on this day I had done all my chores - dinner prep, laundry, etc., and the thought came to me that I could have a Quiet Time. Remember what this is, parents of young children? It's when you have time to actually read the Bible, pray, and meditate. I was very excited about having 30 minutes of movie left. So I open up the Bible. I think Josh heard me do this, because he immediately comes into the room to talk to me. No kidding. I told him to go back and watch TV.

So he went back for about 2 minutes.
Then he came back. I walked him back to the TV. (I'm a good mom, right?)
Then he came back. So I closed the door hoping he'd get the message. But no, he stood outside the door and cried and cried. It is a little difficult to concentrate on reading when your 3 year old is crying, even though I know there's nothing wrong.

So I tried 1 more time to get him to watch the movie. No dice. By this time I'm quite frustrated - all I wanted was time with no one asking me a question.

I gave up. And then, after this 20 minute ordeal, he finally tells me what he wants. "Mommy, please sit with me." Well, I can do that.

Cute kid. I guess a 2 minute Quiet Time is all I get these days. Hopefully I'll find a couple more chances this week, but no guarantee.

Carrot Top

2011-06-13T06:37:00.000-07:00

Anna has red hair. This is a bit of an understatement. She has crazy bright flaming hair. It really catches people's attention. On a regular basis, people will stop us to comment on Anna's hair. She's figured out how to answer to "where'd you get that hair?" and "you have such beautiful hair". These are the 2 questions/ comments we get at the pool, at Target, at the mall, at any restaurant, etc.

I never had this kind of flaming hair - mine is more of a subdued red. But I do remember as a kid that I wished I didn't have red hair because I didn't love being different. But I quickly got over that as an adult when I realized people pay a lot of money to get this color.

And then Anna broke my heart yesterday. We're brushing her hair and she said she wanted her hair to be brown. I was shocked and asked why. "So then people won't stop us in stores to talk about my hair." So sad. I guess she also has to learn about the trials of red hair and then embrace it. Life does repeat itself, I guess.

The Queen of Daytime

2011-05-30T12:56:00.000-07:00

In the past 25 years, I didn't watch too many Oprah episodes. Really, I didn't. Just a few here and there, usually when she had on some celebrity I liked or the road trip she took with Gayle (that was particularly hilarious). But since her show lasted 25 years and has had such an impact on American culture, I thought I should give it some mention on this blog that is designed to help us remember the years.

I know everyone has an opinion about Oprah, so I suppose I'm no different. I land on the side of appreciating her - but NOT screaming and crying and thinking she's the best thing ever. The daily shows were semi-interesting, and though they were better than Jerry Springer, it wasn't hard for me to live without them. What I find most interesting is how Oprah changed pop culture so dramatically.
And I have to say, for the most part I really do respect how she worked to change it. Yes, she's a little kooky in her theology and yes, she's touchy-feely and quite dramatic. But she really did (does?) push her audience of women to improve their lives, and then get outside themselves and give to others.

I can respect someone who uses their celebrity for the good of others. Celebrities seem to be like all the rest of us and fall into 1 of 3 categories: blatently selfish, apathetic and can't be bothered with anyone, or attempt to think of others. I'm glad that Oprah was in the last category. There are many people who are different (mostly for the better) because they listened to her.

I don't know much about the Oprah network - it sounds like something that will get too big, but what do I know? I truly hope she continues to work for others.

Hooray for Dollywood!

2011-05-25T14:54:00.000-07:00

For the second time this spring, we took a trip to Dollywood. But this wasn't just any trip. We splurged a bit and actually drove up and stayed in a hotel Sunday night before the big Monday trip to Dollywood. (Usually we just make it a day trip.) We weren't totally sure how it would go, but it sounded like fun family time, at least in theory.

Well... it started out quite well because we realized our hotel was quite swanky. The hotels in Gatlinburg tend to be a bit dated. In fact everything in Gatlinburg tends to be a bit dated - like it just flew out of the 70's. However! This hotel is brand new.

Our first stop was the Aerial Tramway, which is a tourist trap, albeit a pretty cool one. You ride a European type cable car tram thing over Gatlinburg and the Smoky Mountains. I was surprised that I really DID NOT like it. The heights freaked me out and I sat on the floor. But finally we arrived at the top of the mountain. About 5 minutes after our arrival, a HUGE thunderstorm opened up! Crazy, crazy rain that didn't stop. Thus, we didn't get our return Tram ride - they shuttled us down the bus. Even though I didn't like the Tram, I was rather annoyed to not get the full ride for what we paid.

Then we went to dinner at an overpriced restaurant where the kids wouldn't eat their burgers because they weren't like McDonald's.

We finally made it back to the hotel and life is better - the Pool and the (wait for it...) WATER SLIDE! Everything is okay now!

Sleeping with a 5 year old and a 3 year old in hotel room - not so much fun. Especially our particular 3 year old who is a LOUD sleeper. Every 2 hours he woke us up with his sleep talking. Not so much fun.
At 6:30, Anna asks if it is time to get up - she also hasn't enjoyed Josh's sleep talking.
Then we're off to Dollywood with our friends and quite possibly one of the best Dollywood trips ever. I say that because we actually got to do the adult rides and not just the kiddie ones.

The girls planning the day.

All the kiddos.

The teacups. I can no longer enjoy this ride, but I did at their age.

Joshua loves driving his car, even if it is pink.

Sunny Days...

2011-05-19T18:38:00.001-07:00

We don't have cable. Well, we have 13 channels, which really just means we have the primary networks and PBS. This is a good decision for us, but sometimes it is difficult for us. I've decided if our house doesn't sell that we're getting cable again!
We've been watching a lot of PBS lately. A LOT. The kids watch Curious George, Sesame Street, Cat in the Hat, etc. on a regular basis. But the adult programming has been excellent lately. I guess it is fundraising time, but still, really excellent stuff. Over the past several weeks we have watched The Civil War by Ken Burns, documentaries on the Civil Rights era about the Freedom Riders and the MLK Jr assassination, the God in America series, and of course the classic John Denver concert. Sometimes I feel like my brain has turned to mush - reading Disney books and playing Polly Pockets will do that to you. So I'm glad for this programming to tap into my brain again.

I feel smarter because of PBS.

Mother's Day, 2011

2011-05-08T11:39:00.000-07:00

Easter pics were such a mess,

Anna's wearing cute green dress

No more of that llama drama,

These little llamas love their mama!

Happy Mother's Day Dawn

Mother's Day Eve

2011-05-07T16:26:00.000-07:00

The most recent episode of "Modern Family" had Claire, the mom, wearing all the gifts she'd received in years past for Mother's Day. I seem to remember a "Cosby Show" episode that was similar for Father's Day. This will never happen in our family in the future. The reason why? I throw away pretty much everything. Really. I do. I don't frame the drawings they bring home from school, and I don't have scrapbooks with every birthday card they've ever received. And when they play soccer, I'm not going to keep all those "participation" trophies forever. (Maybe I'll keep something that counts for a championship.)

Today we were rushing around to get the house ready for a showing (yes, it's on the market), and I threw away part of Anna's preschool Mother's Day present - a paper teapot she'd colored. However - I did keep the tea that we're supposed to drink that will give us quality time together. NO MATTER. That afternoon Anna realized the teapot was gone and she had an absolute meltdown about it. The best quote, "Mommy, WHY do you throw away everything I make at preschool???"

Ouch. It's true. I throw 98% of it away. I didn't think she noticed, honestly. And so there's another reason for my children to need therapy.
And to tell the truth, the rest of the day held many more frustrated parent / child interations...
Playing baseball, where I mostly was annoyed that Anna wouldn't throw the ball overhanded and her underhanded throws are terrible.
Negotiating her daily wardrobe.
Threatening Anna with bedtime because she wouldn't clean up.
Answering the same question over and over and over. (This makes me crazy!)

Really, the only way I can survive this is to believe in the grace of God. I'm messed up, and not at all a perfect mother. Or even a semi-good one most of the time. But He is bigger than any parenting flaws and sins.

And no, my family (mom in particular) does not appreciate my unsentimental attitude toward keepsakes. I'm pretty sure their will says something about my sister inheriting all their stuff.

Easter 2011

2011-05-01T18:25:00.001-07:00

We had a quick trip to SC to visit all the Everette's at Easter and to give Joshua a birthday party. Here are a few highlights. (you're welcome, family across the country!)

Egg hunt!

I just love this picture of Liam and Anna. No special reason.

Happy Birthday Joshua!

Cool Uncle Pol showing Joshua how to work his cool new helicopter.

3 is the new 2

2011-04-30T13:27:00.000-07:00

Our Joshy is 3 today! We are very happy to celebrate him! He is very happy to receive presents, eat cake, and obsess over Mickey Mouse.

Other things Joshua does: torment his sister, tumble / jump / fall down or anything else that looks like a pratfall, play sports, eat pizza and sweets, and ask us to play with him (all the time). Even though we know that 3 is a difficult age, we look forward to it with him (I think we do, at least). We love him and are thankful for him.

Say Cheese, Part 2

2011-04-26T17:59:00.000-07:00

Here are the few shots we managed before the picture-taking meltdowns of Sunday.

This is a great picture of Anthony and Joshua. Joshua didn't have a meltdown; he just kept wandering away from us.

It appears that Anna is smiling, but really she's angry and strangling her father with his tie.

Aunt Michelle took this one on Saturday. It is sweet. But there's nothing like this from Easter morning.

Say Cheese!

2011-04-26T12:33:00.000-07:00

Easter pictures just shouldn't be this hard..
Here I'm saying something loving and parental like, "Get over here and take a picture NOW! "

Notice Joshua in the background

Classic.

Tina Fey's prayer for her daughter

2011-04-21T19:05:00.001-07:00

This is just too funny, and not far off from my prayers...

First, Lord: No tattoos. May neither Chinese symbol for truth nor Winnie-the-Pooh holding the FSU logo stain her tender haunches.

May she be Beautiful but not Damaged, for it’s the Damage that draws the creepy soccer coach’s eye, not the the Beauty.

When the Crystal Meth is offered, may she remember the parents who cut her grapes in half
And stick with Beer.

Guide her, protect her
When crossing the street, stepping onto boats, swimming in the ocean, swimming in pools, walking near pools, standing on the nearby subway platform, crossing 86th Street, stepping off of boats, using mall restrooms, getting on and off escalators, driving on country roads while arguing, leaning on large windows, walking in parking lots, riding Ferris wheels, roller-coasters, log flumes, or anything called “ @#!*% Drop,” “Tower of Torture,” or “The Death Spiral Rock N’ Zero G Roll featuring Aerosmith,” and standing on any kind of balcony ever, anywhere, at any age.

Lead her away from Acting but not all the way to Finance. Something where she can make her own hours but still feel intellectually fulfilled and get outside sometimes and not have to wear high heels.
What would that be, Lord? Architecture? Midwifery? Golf course design? I’m asking You because if I knew, I’d be doing it, Youdammit.

May she play the Drums to the fiery rhythm of her Own Heart with the sinewy strength of her Own Arms, so she need Not Lie With Drummers.

Grant her a Rough Patch from twelve to seventeen.

Let her draw horses and be interested in Barbies for much too long,
For Childhood is short -- a Tiger Flower blooming Magenta for one day --
And Adulthood is long and Dry-Humping in Cars will wait.

O Lord, break the Internet forever, That she may be spared the misspelled invective of her peers and the online marketing campaign for Rape Hostel V: Girls Just Wanna Get Stabbed.

And when she one day turns on me and calls me a @#!*% in front of Hollister,
Give me the strength, Lord, to yank her directly into a cab in front of her friends,
For I will not have that @#!*% . I will not have it.

And should she choose to be a Mother one day, be my eyes, Lord,
That I may see her, lying on a blanket on the floor at 4:50 a.m., all-at-once exhausted, bored, and in love with the little creature whose poop is leaking up its back.
“My mother did this for me once,” she will realize as she cleans feces off her baby’s neck.
“My mother did this for me.” And the delayed gratitude will wash over her as it does each generation and she will make a Mental note to call me. And she will forget.
But I’ll know, because I peeped it with Your God eyes.
Amen.

Dempsey is 70!

2011-04-14T14:00:00.001-07:00

Paw Paw Dempsey's 70th birthday was this past Saturday, so we traveled to Asheboro for his party. We had a great time celebrating with the Moore family.

The Moore siblings

Little Dempsey driving the tractor

The cake

3 unrelated items

2011-04-07T18:24:00.000-07:00

1. PBS has been running the Ken Burns documentary, "The Civil War". It is fascinating. The subject itself is interesting, but mostly it is interesting because of how Ken Burns presents the material. It has the perfect blend of music, sound effects, photos, and portraits to convey the importance of the subject. Seriously - the entire thing is done without any film footage and you can't turn away from it. I love his "Baseball" series, but this is a more striking series, and of course the subject changed the country forever.

It was on at the same time as the terrible men's basketball championship game. Guess which one we watched.

2. I took the kids to the park again today. We were there all of 10 minutes when Anna started complaining about anything and everything. I'm tired, I'm hot, I'm thirsty, I don't want to play soccer, Mommy that bee is going to get me. At one point I threatened that she'd have to run laps if she didn't quit whining. She looked very confused when I said that. (Probably not a great parenting move, but whatever.) Joshua joined in as well, of course. I managed to get them to stay for an hour, playing soccer and on the playground, but they moped and whined 75% of the time. Then we get home, and their energy is suddenly renewed! They pick and pick at each other and run around the house like crazy people.

What is that about? Are they just lazy during any kind of exercise?

3. I just finished reading "Game Change" - the book on the presidential race on 2008. It is FASCINATING. Absolutely FASCINATING. You probably have to be semi-interested in politics, but it doesn't require lots of understaning of the political process. It simply reveals personalities and behind the scenes dealing that went on. Don't read it expecting to be convinced one candidate was better than the other. It is the story of them all, not an attempt to convince you of a particular platform.

I hope someone writes "Game Change 2012". It might be interesting to hear about how the Republicans come up with a leader who isn't someone with a TV show.

Shout to the Lord

2011-03-29T17:55:00.001-07:00

It's been a while since I posted a video to make the grandparents happy. Here it is. Anna's performance at the final kid's camp (kind of like a weekly VBS). She loves being up front. I forsee us sitting through a lot more performances in the future. An added bonus for you is the rendition by Joshua. I think this is the first real song he's learned. (not counting Twinkle Twinkle, of course.) I have to say, it is pretty cute to watch them do this. Please notice Joshua's ad lib. He already has bathroom humor!! What is that about? We've done nothing to encourage this - is it just an inborn thing in boys???

St. Patrick, George Clooney, and Rapunzel

2011-03-17T18:07:00.000-07:00

[Anthony]: Nine years ago on Saint Patrick's Day, I finally got up the nerve to ask Dawn out. It was a Sunday and we had met at the Brew-n-View, a great pizza-beer-dollar movie joint. We watched Oceans 11 and left with a new definition of our relationship. Dawn tells the story better than I do, but suffice it to say I was a stuttering, sweaty-palmed 29 year old. Not 15... 29.

I thought...wouldn't it be fun to return there for a date this year? As it turns out, one of the movie options was Tangled so we decided to take the kids and "truly" appreciate how much life has changed for us in nine years. So today, we sat there together with our red-headed princess and sweet boy, with friends from church, and appreciated the story that the Lord has written for us so far. I am so thankful. No sweaty palms for me this year, just the glory that comes from holding a newly potty trained child in your lap for 90 minutes.

The Boy

2011-03-12T17:18:00.001-08:00

In August 2008, we potty trained Anna. I distinctly remember saying, "I am so glad we don't have to do that for 2 more years". Well, the time has come. Joshua is ready, and so this was his weekend. So far, we're doing quite well. We even went OUT - to Cracker Barrel, at his request. We'll see how the next few weeks go.

He gets very excited about M & M's, of course!

Check out the awesome McQueen pants!
Activities: making cookies and watching ACC basketball

Love my Carolina boys. Anna was pulling for Clemson, and slightly mad that I wouldn't let her be in this picture! Go Heels!

Listen My Children and You Shall Hear...

2011-03-10T12:54:00.000-08:00

Can anyone name the author of Paul Revere's Midnight Ride - without Googling it? Me, either. Longfellow, the great American poet of the 1800's. Don't worry, this isn't a poetry lesson - I'd never attempt that! And it isn't even a history lesson. I just wanted to borrow the title phrase as this post is about listening.

I've previously posted on my love for my iPod. It has been particularly helpful for me to survive Friday afternoon grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I put on my headphones and listen to a good sermon and I don't get particularly frustrated anymore! Yes, I listen to sermons. I get bored with music unless I'm in my car.

So in case you don't have time to read the books, or you're just looking for some good teaching, I'll recommend some Tim Keller series. He's the pastor of a large New York City church, and fairly popular these days in evangelical circles. He's written a lot of books, but even if you've already read them, these sermons are helpful. So here you go...

1. The Prodigal God. This is my personal favorite. Here are the sermons based on the book - about 30 minutes each. You'll be surprised how much you learn - trust me.

2. Reason for God - his first best seller (I think). It kind of reminded me of C.S. Lewis nonfiction - really great stuff that is intellectual and simple at the same time, but don't read too fast or you'll miss something important. The sermons aren't quite so heady. Try them out. Here

3. The significance of JRR Tolkien. Apparently Keller is a Tolkien freak - I've heard that he speaks Elvish. That's just weird. I'm not a huge Lord of the Rings fan, but I found this lecture to be interesting. It is half Tolkien history and half LOTR commentary. Here

I've previously posted about a parenting series by Steve Shelby in Richmond, Va. Click here. It is worth the time.

I'll post more links in the future.

Biltmore the 1st

2011-03-07T07:15:00.001-08:00

A friend gave us passes to the Biltmore Estate, to be used in February. Thankfully, the weather on the last Saturday was quite lovely and we took the kids. That's right - we took a 5 year old and almost 3 year old to the Biltmore Estate. I have to say, I do NOT understand why parents drag their kids through this house. Anyone under 15 would be bored to tears! The story of the Vanderbilts is cool, though, and the grounds are unbelievable!

We spent all of 10 minutes inside the house - enough for Anna to be impressed. Then we walked around the grounds (I really do want to go during the spring - I bet the gardens are amazing), and showed them where Daddy asked Mommy to marry him. And we spent most time at the new Antler Hill Village which has lots of cool stuff for kids (read: outdoors and no lines). The saddest part was the line was too long for us to do any wine tasting. Oh, well.

Asheville is cool.

Clothing Management

2011-03-07T07:08:00.000-08:00

I know everyone has their favorite and least favorite chores. Anthony and I have the chores pretty well divided, though not according to favorites - more according to our schedules. I've decided my favorite chore is laundry - renamed by me as Clothing Management. This does not mean I want to do your laundry or I never want help from Anthony. It means that I've realized I prefer to do clothing management over cleaning the bathroom (totally my LEAST favorite chore!). On some level I really do enjoy it. And my favorite part of clothing management? Switching the seasonal clothes! I love getting to see new stuff we have for the new season, and I love the feeling of accomplishment after I've finished the job. I guess doing the laundry really just feeds my organizational self, right?

Exciting Monday thoughts, I know.

Skateland in Enterprise AL

2011-02-18T18:45:00.000-08:00

Skateland was the name of the roller skating hangout where I skated to the great songs of the early 80's. We lived in Enterprise, AL, for grades 3-7 for me. I believe it was grades 5-7 when I honed my amazing skating skills. Actually, I wasn't bad, but I never mastered the backwards skate, and I was too young to do the couples skate where one is backward and one frontward with arms on hips. (You know you're picturing those people in your head right now.)

This weekend a friend rented the local skating rink for her birthday party. So there we are, a bunch of thirtysomethings with all our kids. It is a little different to go around the circle carrying and pushing a 5 year old and dodging other parents with children. It was a little more like obstacle course skating, but it was fun. Anna eventually did rather well - she was very intent on skating without any help!

Here's the thing of the evening... roller skating makes me feel 12 years old again. The music they played wasn't exactly the same, but it was still fun. (I remember "Another One Bites the Dust", "Freeze Frame", and "Jesse's Girl" - how's that for dating myself?) But there's just something about feeling the familiar rush of wind on my face and the feeling of rolling along and making those turns and hearing the music. I know I'm a 38 year old mom, but I can immediately take myself back to Skateland.

Not too many situations can actually re-create the actions and feelings of the past, but apparently skating is one of the rare exceptions!

Book Reviews

2011-02-16T11:15:00.000-08:00

I've read a few books lately. The library is a great place!

FICTION
The Distant Land of My Father by Bo Caldwell - This novel is written as a memoir by a girl about her Dad, and how he chose to remain in China during WWII as a civilian (a big mistake!). There is a lot written these days about the consequence of boys being abandoned by their fathers, but this shows that problem from the viewpoint of a girl. It is a really interesting book, on many levels.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana de Rosnay - This is a novel, but I mostly enjoyed it because I learned a lot about the Holocast and the French Vichy government. It doesn't gloss over concentration camps, but I thought it also did a good job of not overwhelming me with too much realistic description. The story itself is quite compelling, also.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer - This is the book I found easiest to read (of the 3). The storyline wasn't too heavy and I was drawn into the way it is written - like you're reading the correspondance between several different people. And I wasn't so worried about the characters and what might happen to them.

If you read all these books, you will have learned a lot about history, especially World War II. (Probably why I liked them!)
Disclaimer: these books are not "Christian fiction". I don't really go for that genre. These are just regular fiction, with redeemable qualities to be found.

NON FICTION
What Good is God by Philip Yancey - I was so excited to find out Philip Yancey had a new book out. He is one of my favorite authors. The Jesus I Never Knew remains one of the top 5 most influential books for me. In this book, he chronicles various events in recent history that are difficult (Va Tech shooting, MLK Jr assasination, etc.) and how people respond to them. He does a really excellent job of putting forth the gospel of Jesus as transformative and gracious and the true place of hope. It is a difficult subject, and he does a great job with it. This kind of book is right up my alley, but for some reason it didn't just knock my socks off. But that might just be me.

Somewhere Down the Road

2011-02-13T18:41:00.000-08:00

So Anthony and I are starting to wonder when permanent personality traits become apparent in children. Joshua still seems a litle young to commit to too many characteristics. He loves his sister and he doesn't have any fear, although at the same time he is also hesitant to trust new people. And he doesn't have ANY interest in learning - at this rate, I'm just hoping he'll learn his letters before Kindergarten because he just runs away when I try to do numbers or letters or read a book. He's also easy going and not overly opinionated, which makes him unlike his mother or sister.

Which of these traits will stick?

Anna has always been opinionated about everything and will NOT accept your offer of help, loves school and being with her friends, seems fairly bright, and the newest reveal - she has a motherly side and she loves all babies. This motherly deal has caught me quite off guard, to be honest, but it is quite cute to see how she wants to play with babies all the time. This must be an inborn thing, because it is not a quality I ever possessed until I had children of my own.

So which of these traits will stick?

We're intrigued by the whole thing. I suppose we'll just find out somewhere down the road as the Lord reveals more and more of how He's made Josh and Anna and how he intends to reveal Himslef in them.

This whole parenting thing just gets curiouser and curiouser as we go along.

Shopping, Wii Dance, and NO SLEEP

2011-02-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

You know how sometimes in life everything piles on you at once? That's sort of what this weekend was. The kids and I went to SC so Anthony could paint a few rooms in the house. Michelle and Liam also came - it was single moms and kids return to the Everette's weekend.

The highlights:

2 out of 3 kids are sick.
Joshua's fever returns, and Grandma figures out his ears hurt.
Joshua wakes up A LOT every night. When he does go to sleep, Anna wakes up to talk to me. Very little sleep for me over 3 nights.
Michelle leaves to see a very pregnant friend and Liam has major diarrhea episode just for me. (This boy's diet consists of bread and cheese - he usually has the opposite problem!)
These grandparents are the opposite of normal senior citizens! They stay up late and sleep in! I'm really quite jealous, as I would like to do this.
Josh to Urgent Care for 3 hours to find out he has an ear infection and getting needed meds.
It rains for 2 straight days - kids are stir crazy and sick and CRANKY! (so are grown ups.)
Lots of bargain shopping at consignment sale - the highlight. Woo hoo!
Take kids to Barnes and Noble. Josh does not behave well.
Grandma bought Wii Dance! Woo hoo!
Take kids to Target. Josh does not behave well.
Lock keys in car at Target - seriously???

2 days later, and I am still weary. Thankfully Joshua is feeling better and sleeping again. Everything changes when you can sleep!

Good times, good times.

Who Are These Children?

2011-02-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

Sick days means everything normal is off. At least in our household. We haven't been hit by major tummy bugs or strep or anything else major (yet). But for the past few days Josh has had a fever, which means lots of TV watching. And I do admit that I love the snuggle time that comes with kids who suddenly don't feel like running around constantly. But this is something new - Josh sitting with Anna on the couch in a sweet and peaceful manner!! Usually they sit there but are pushing and pulling and yelling (in the "normal" sibling manner). Crazier things happen, I suppose, but this is kind of a nice sweet surprise.
Not counting this week of the fever, Joshua's personality has been taking off! He's still rather quiet in large groups, or people he doesn't really know, but they tell me that he talks at school and boy does he talk at home! He's always been quite a little boy - jumping and running and crashing toys. Now he comes with hilarious faces and expressions and comments. The past couple of days his favorite sentence is "No more medicine, Mommy. No more." with a pitiful look because I am torturing him with Tylenol. He calls his sister Ahhhnnie and tells Dobby to GO AWAY and pretends he doesn't understand what it means to clean up his toys.
And best of all, he says, "I Ruv You, Mommy" on a regular basis. (I'm not sure if he does it because he knows he can get away with more, but whatever. I'll take it.)

Doing his best handyman impression with saggy jeans.

Elf Observations

2011-01-25T16:40:00.000-08:00

This post is about a month overdue - I should have written it when everyone was watching Elf all throughout December. (How great is it that USA runs Elf all the time during December?) Sometime during our hundred times of watching it (that might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight), I came to the conclusion that Will Ferrell must have based Buddy the Elf on a 4 year old. This conclusion is drawn from my experience with a certain 4 year old named Anna.

Those of you with preschoolers, don't you agree with my conclusion? There's just something totally hilarious and sometimes annoying about preschoolers and how they process the world around them. They come up with the best comments and questions.
Things Anna would very likely say:
I love you, I love you, I LLLOOOOVVVEEE you.
Smiling's my favorite.
Is there sugar in syrup?
Singing is just like talking except longer and louder and you move your voice up and down.
Francisco - that's fun to say.
That's a very nice purple dress. It's very purpley.

Winter Entertainment

2011-01-19T17:21:00.000-08:00

Being the wonderfully creative parents that we are, we have been struggling with what to do with all this indoor time. (Anthony is actually creative in the music sense, but both of us struggle to come up with crafts or learning type games.) I could expound more on this weakness, but instead I'll just share our recent movie / TV list of how we kept the kids and ourselves entertained...

The Sound of Music - always a favorite.
Aladdin - this is scarier than I'd remembered
Cars - yes, we are excited about the upcoming sequel
PBS PBS PBS - particularly The Cat in the Hat and Sesame Street (it is such a quality show)
Imaginext - product placement DVD that came with Joshua's toy planes. It is actually quite fun to watch!
The Fireplace - yes, we have one of those DVDs that has a fire going. I really love it - no kidding!
Modern Family and How I Met Your Mother - these are my only Must See TV
The Social Network - a really really good movie

Up next: How to Train Your Dragon and Inception

Should I be worried about our kids watching too much TV? I just prefer to not answer that question.

Snow Bound

2011-01-12T13:17:00.000-08:00

The winter weather has hit us again. From what I can gather, our family is about like all others - we love the beauty of the snow, but after 2 days it can get tiresome to be stuck in the house. (And for 2 introverted parents, there is nowhere to hide from the children!) We aren't actually stuck, but I also don't want to drag the kids out in 20something windy conditions.
One interesting note is that Joshua is absolutely crazy in the snow. They both love to sled down our little hill, but he'd just as soon wallow around in the snow like a perpetual snow angel. I just cringe watching him - I hate being that cold and wet! But there he is, and he'll try like crazy to bring down his sister also (as evidenced in the video). Maybe a boy thing, maybe a 2.5 year old thing. Crazy.

Pre-sledding. It takes 25 minutes to get everyone dressed!

(Notice the UNC hat on Josh)

Our trip through the woods was totally worth it, because we got to play Wii Dance. I don't have permission to put our friends on the video, so those of you in Asheville will simply have to decipher who is dancing with Anna other than us. But really, how can you resist Anna as the Spice Girls and Cyndi Lauper!

Cute, I Am

2011-01-09T17:36:00.001-08:00

We have our own litte Yoda. Joshua would like everyone to see his Yoda shirt. Really - he said, "Mommy, take my picture." So I guess this is his second Star Wars item. I'm not sure how excited I am about embarking on this journey, as I'm not really a Star Wars expert. Oh well, I don't suppose I have a choice!

Christmas morning chaos

2011-01-04T15:49:00.000-08:00

And now, the long awaited (well, at least by cousin Helen and the grandparents) Christmas morning video. You'll notice that I am not in the video. When you're the editor, you get to select which clips make it, and surprisingly there's nothing to be found of me and my bedhead.
We had a great day, as you can see. The kids are hilarious.

New Year in Asheboro

2011-01-02T17:47:00.001-08:00

Jamestown ND folks, you are not going to believe this. We found another buffalo, during our trip to the NC state zoo in Asheboro!
Random family story - during every yearly visit to Jamestown, we'd go to the big buffalo statue and take pictures. It became family tradition and we have pictures of Michelle and I at various ages standing next to a HUGE buffalo. I have fond memories of the buffalo - don't laugh. However, I don't think I ever saw a live one. Well, that has changed. The zoo in Asheboro is crazy big and has REAL buffalo! And it has a statue for us to take pictures. I have to laugh, though, becuase this tiny buffalo is nothing compared to the one in Jamestown!

We celebrated Christmas with Anthony's family this weekend, and the kids had a blast. Joshua loves Curious George!

In case you can't quite make it out, that is a puzzle of the United States. How excited am I to start teaching Anna all about the States. Again, don't laugh - I'm not joking. My father-in-law shares my enthusiasm and talked about have puzzle races to see who could put it together the fastest!

Grandparents and Josh at the zoo. (Anna refused to join the picture.)

Christmas + Snow

2010-12-28T11:58:00.001-08:00

And then FINALLY it was Christmas. Anna thinks all you do in December is wait. Wait for her birthday on the 20th and then wait more for Christmas on the 25th. It sure is worth it, though! Maybe I'll find some time and put together a video - a few pictures for now.

Notice the Old School games she received. Nothing fancy here - just classics that we loved as kids. Connect 4 and Lite Brite are the best.

Buzz and Woody!
Every boy begins with Star Wars at some point. Here's his first Darth Vader and Luke Skywalker figures.

We missed the huge snow in Asheville, but that was perfectly ok. 4 inches in Greenville is plenty to play in, and not so much as to impose cabin fever.

Here's Joshua with his big truck / car carrier from Target that Grandma decided he must have. And boy did she get lucky - they were sold out and someone happened to reveal to us they had bought one. Grandma made it happen for her Josh.

The Next American Idol

2010-12-24T05:25:00.000-08:00

Preschool Christmas programs are hilarious for all involved. I find it fascinating how these performances bring out all the different personalities. Apparently Anna's personality is the one that sings loud and long with no inhibitions - at least this year. And check out she works the mic (whose idea was it to give her one of those?)!

December 20

2010-12-21T10:37:00.000-08:00

Anna Kirby has FINALLY turned 5 years old. (She's been telling everyone about it for weeks!) We had quite the fun filled weekend, which included the Polar Express and the family birthday. What does Anna like to do for her birthday? Eat at McAlister's and do the "bouncy thing" at the mall.

Joshua and Liam joined Anna on the trampolines. No, just kidding. Aunt Michelle thought it looked fun and she took Liam's place. Boy am I hoping the video gets posted, because watching a thirtysomething yell about being scared of the trampoline is hilarious - especially when a 5 year old and 2 year old are flying high to the ceiling. But I digress.

We love our dear Anna so much. Happy Birthday, sweet girl!

2 more Christmas events

2010-12-19T17:46:00.000-08:00

Events to delight preschoolers: Disney's Princesses on Ice and The Polar Express. We have had quite an amazing December. It is really fun to watch your kids have a great time. And I'm very thankful that Disney and the Great Smoky Mountain Railroad do things very well and the parents can enjoy themselves, too. So yes, I recommend Princesses on Ice (seriously) and The Polar Express. They are just plain fun and your kids will LOVE them. (We are thankful for grandparent sponsors that make this all possible.!

Riding a real live train = 2 very excited little boys

2 Christmas Events

2010-12-09T11:08:00.000-08:00

So we've already started with all the Christmas events. The 2 from this past weekend are likely to be the standouts: Christmas at the Cove, and Trinity's Christmas concert.

Christmas at the Cove was quite an experience. Anthony and I were excited to go because Keith and Kristyn Getty were the featured performers. We sing a number of their songs at Trinity (In Christ Alone, The Power of the Cross, etc.), and their stuff is really really excellent. Anthony even got to talk to Keith after the concert, which was cool since they are both classical composers. However, I think 95% of the folks at this concert because of the OTHER performers - George Beverly Shea and Cliff Barrows. These gentlemen are contemporaries of Billy Graham and worked with him over the last 60+ years during his crusades and speaking engagements. They sat on the stage in their recliners and occasionally jumped in with some stand up comedy or sang a couple songs. Keep in mind, these men are 101 and 87 years old! They cracked me up! And also, they and the entire audience of white hairs reminded me to always have perspective. I'm pretty sure I'll view life differently when I'm 87 than I do right now, so maybe I shouldn't get all wound up that my kids need me all the time for everything. And I'm quite certain that my understanding of following Jesus will be different 50 years from now as well. So I enjoyed the music of the Gettys, and I unexpectedly appreciated the audience.

Arise, Shine was this year's Christmas concert. I am not kidding when I say that every year it all pulls together to remind my heart of the importance of Christmas. My standout favorites this year were the Christmas poems of Lucy Shaw (you should check her out if you've never heard of her), the silent time after "What Grace is Mine" (what an excellent idea to give us reflection time), and of course Anthony's awesome composition finale that brought it all together.

I'm very thankful to have the rest of the Advent season to think upon these things.

The Sultan of Swat and a Princess

2010-11-30T18:22:00.000-08:00

So I know our kids are cute. Really, they are. Joshua is just like a little cartoon running around nonstop and Anna continues to get stopped by random people who talk about her hair. But sometimes they are just weird kids. I think Anna is always going to have strong opinions about her fashion (which really and truly worries me for the teenage years), and Joshua just does things for no reason. Primarily, he smacks his sister. He does it when he is mad, which I understand. It isn't a great reaction, but I do understand it. What I don't understand is why he just smacks her for no reason at all. He'll be in a perfectly good mood, and suddenly goes up and swats at her. Anna doesn't really retaliate, which I suppose is a good thing, but it sure is tiring to listen to "Mommy, Joshy hit me" a thousand times a day. Of course we punish him, but nothing seems to phase him. And I really don't think he's doing it out of anger or malice - he just hits her. As cool Aunt Michelle pointed out, Anna is going to have a rough life if he keeps beating her up!

And now to the Princess. In fact, I am not talking about Anna. I'm talking about soon to be married William and Kate. I have no explanation, but I am like many other women and am fascinated by the upcoming royal wedding. I don't really care about her dress and such, but I am taken with the pomp of it all. America just doesn't have anything to rival it. Jersey Shore just can't compare. And I have to say, these are 2 really good looking people who exude classiness. I'll watch it with Anna, and maybe she'll remember it when she grows up. I still remember watching Charles and Diana.

Black Friday

2010-11-28T17:27:00.000-08:00

This evening while driving home, we listened to part of the "White Christmas" soundtrack. (no, I am not kidding.) After listening to Bing croon "Count Your Blessings", Anna asked me what blessings are, and so I tried to explain the concept. According to FaceBook, most folks have listed off being thankful and the blessings in life. I am always glad to see stuff like this, and am reminded how self focused I can become.

I won't list my blessings right now. Instead, I'll go against the grain and offer a little confessional. I love Christmas shopping. Yes, I do. Can I be thankful for shopping? Hmmm. Probably not. But still, I really do love it. I know it doesn't really fit with my personality, but I'm not talking about "buy whatever you want" shopping. For my personality, I enjoy looking around and I LOVE getting deals, and Black Friday is fun for deals. My sister actually stayed up all night and joined the crazy people at WalMart and Target in the wee hours for doorbusters, and I did feel a tinge of regret for not going with her. It was crazy, but sounded kinda fun at the same time. I settled for going out later in the day and then seeing Harry Potter.

So apparently my sister and I both love Christmas shopping - wonder where that gene came from. I'm pretty sure Kirby didn't give it to us.

JRR Tolkien

2010-11-15T17:47:00.000-08:00

Well, I am officially in the club. I have now read the entire trilogy of The Lord of the Rings. I realize I'm a bit late in life, but I am very glad that I can say I did it, and they were more readable than I expected. However, I have to say that I am just not smart enough to understand Tolkien. His writing is like nothing I've ever encountered before. I guess that is what happens when a linguistics professor creates an entire other world based on old mythology and his own imagination. I just couldn't keep up with all his worlds and times and languages.

So I'm in the club because I've read them, but I'm not in the club that can stomach reading the Silmarillion, and I doubt I'll re-read them any time soon. And though it will be heresy to many friends, I prefer Harry Potter over Lord of the Rings. I know Harry Potter wouldn't exist without LOTR, but I'm a wimp and prefer the easy to read teenager books. And I appreciate Rowling's ability to connect everything within the books - unlike Tolkien where I have to read 40 appendix stories and another book to figure it out. So I still stand on my belief that everyone needs to read Harry Potter.

Also - unless you are really into fantasy, I recommend watching the movies first. There's no way I would have made it through without knowing the movies ahead of time.

For those who might be interested, Tim Keller has a good lecture on LOTR here: http://www.internationalartsmovement.org/podcasts/resources/episodes/693-the-significance-of-jrr-tolkien
It is half lecture on Tolkien and half lecture on the books.

Jai Ho

2010-11-11T11:04:00.001-08:00

For the first time, Anna is old enough to do "Wednesday Kid's Camp" at church - the afternoon program to teach catechism and various other skills. Anna learned all about finding the beat (thanks to her Daddy and the Slumdog Millionare soundtrack) and performed a sweet dance (thanks to Ms. Becky and helpers). And a video just for those who want to dance to JAI HO (sorry it is a little blurry)!

The Great Pumpkin

2010-11-02T17:57:00.000-07:00

Here are our Trick or Treat pictures. We had a great day with Grandma and Grandaddy - McAlister's for lunch, the bouncy thing at the mall, leaf looking on the Parkway, and Trick or Treating with friends (and boy, did we get some good candy!).

Buzz Lightyear, Tinkerbell, Boston Red Sox fan, and Carolina fan

Such a fun night with Alexanders, Bradleys, Greens, Matalkas, and McNairs

Bo-No

2010-10-29T17:11:00.000-07:00

For those who don't read my sister's blog, let me encourage you to check out her most recent 3 posts: http://thebuckinghampalace.blogspot.com. The most recent one is particularly funny to me, as I first raised the topic of the conversation. Maybe it just makes me laugh because it is my family, but how great is it that my mom can name all Alan Jackson, Reba McEntire, Taylor Swift, and Brad Paisely songs, and have no idea who Bono is.

I'd stalk Bono over Dolly, but she is a close second.

Punkins, Mommy!

2010-10-17T11:17:00.000-07:00

Joshua gets very excited about pumpkins these days. He is adamant that we drive by the church with all the pumpkins anytime we're in the car. Thankfully, they had a "fall festival" this weekend, so he could see lots and lots of pumpkins. It was an afternoon of pumpkins, face painting, square dancing, and picture taking!

Class of 1990

2010-10-13T17:20:00.000-07:00

This past weekend was my 20 year high school reunion, and I must say I had a really good time - much better than I expected, to be honest. Although there were several people I missed seeing, there were many friends to catch up with.

My reflections:
1. High School Reunions are all about you. You know what I'm talking about, fellow self involved person. I was obsessed about what to wear that would make me look hip. I was super worried that no one would remember me. And of course, I was very happy to show off my amazing trophy husband. I'm pretty sure these feelings are par for the course.

2. High School Reunions are not about you at all. As self involved as I was for the days leading up, the moment I saw some dear friends, I didn't care at all about what I was wearing. I just wanted to talk to them and hear about their lives. I know that sounds contradictory, but it is true. Particular stand out conversations include my fellow band geeks, my prom date, and a sweet history teacher who remembered me!!

3. Everything gets equalized over 20 years. You could call it high school justice, I guess. The popular crowd became normal people. The uncool people became normal people. Life just happens - some beautiful and wonderful and some really difficult and tragic. 20 years is a long time and lots of life happens in that time. I'm not the same person I was in 1990, and neither are my classmates. I'm thankful to see God's hand at work in me over all these years.

4. If we lived in Greenville, I wonder if I would hang out with some of my high school friends. I really have no idea, but the idea that kept rolling around in my head is that my home is now with Anthony and Anna and Joshua (to paraphrase Billy Joel). That's what the Lord has given me right now.

5. It is funny to think about all that didn't exist 20 years ago, especially in the information and entertainment world. The internet, email, cell phones, reality TV, LOST and Friends. Life is very different. Mostly it is different because now I'm a grown up.

6. What I really want for my kids in high school is for them to know their identity is not rooted in what other people think. I know this isn't attainable outside of understanding the gospel. So I guess what I REALLY want is that they know the love and grace of Jesus.

My advice - go to your reunion. It is good for the soul.
Go Mavs!

"Shows" and More

2010-09-29T19:21:00.000-07:00

At long last... a video, complete with singing and flipping and Jack Johnson. Almost every night, Anna and Josh will put on a "show" for us, and it really is hilarious - sometimes we understand it all, but usually we don't. But we always laugh. The "chunky baby" song is inspired by the little sister of a couple of Anna's friends. I particularly like Josh's little backside wiggle for it.

Enjoy!

Quick Glance Misunderstandings

2010-09-21T11:03:00.000-07:00

I'm not sure many people will find this funny (probably just Presbyterians), but Anthony and I did. We don't usually make the same mistake...

Have you ever read a headline and thought you knew what it meant, but you were wrong? The denomination that our church belongs to (Presbyterian - PCA) has grappling with women's roles as deacons. There are opposite lines of thinking, with one end saying that women cannot be deacons while the other end disagrees and "gets around" the current system by not ordaining women - instead they commission them to be deacons. The pro-women deacon camp doesn't follow the current PCA rules, but they don't break them either. I'm not trying to make a commentary on this position right now (perhaps I will later). I'm simply giving background for you.

So there's been discussion at the "General Assembly" about this topic. That's where they deal with denominational issues. The magazine, By Faith, had an article with this headline:

Assembly Actions: Women's Roles, "Don't Ask, Don't Tell"

What do you think that means? Anthony and I both (independently of each other) took it to mean, the General Assembly's answer to women's roles is "don't ask, don't tell". Translation - we aren't going to ask you if you have women deacons, and please don't tell us. I really thought that was strange to the point of comical. This is the best they could come up with for a resolution? Really? Turns out, the article wasn't about that. The first half was about women's roles and the second half was about the military policy.

But still, kind of a funny headline, and sort of misleading. And I bet for some people in the PCA, it would be the policy they'd vote for!

One day late...

2010-09-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

Mr. Darcy may be dreamy, but I'll pick this guy any day. He's better than Mr. Darcy - he's real!
Happy Birthday, Anthony!

My Kind of Town

2010-09-06T10:56:00.000-07:00

So here's my quick recap of our long weekend trip to Chicago...

1. The museums are amazing. The Art Institute and the Field Museum of Natural History are the best. I don't even like art at all (or maybe I should say I am really uneducated about it and therefore I don't understand it), and I found it really interesting. We got lost in the Natural History museum - it is that big. We kept reminding ourselves that the stuff in these museums is the real deal; not a copy. It was a real Gauguin, a real mummy from ancient Egypt, etc. Sadly, we don't know if the Adler Planetarium is very good. When you wake up at 4am and they turn off the lights to tell you in a nice voice about the stars and you recline your head, well... we slept through the whole thing!

2. We walked A LOT. No kidding, by the end of each day we were about to collapse. We took the Subway and Trolleys and even a taxi, but boy did we walk A LOT.

3. Our hotel (Conrad Chicago) was way out of our league. Thankfully, we had a great rate due to my dad's deal with Hilton. But every time we'd walk in the lobby and wonder what we were doing there. Everyone would be dressed in their cocktail finest or skinny jeans and super tight shirt. The cable was a dud - who doesn't get TLC or TBS or CNN??? But it did have HBO, so we saw snippets of 500 Days of Summer every day. You should see that. It is so original (probably rated R, though).

4. The boat tours were my favorite. We went down the Chicago River to learn about architecture and also along the lake front to get some cool views. Boat tours are just plain fun and interesting.

5. Or maybe Wrigley Field was my favorite. It was really fun to see the Cubs beat the Mets. I'm not really a Cubs fan, but I am a fan of the place that baseball holds in American history. Wrigley Field (yes, named for the chewing gum family) has a special place since it is the 2nd oldest ball field in the country. And the Cubs fans are fun. We sat next to a family that could have been on a Saturday Night Live skit about Chicago fans (a la "Da Bears"). I think the 50 something moustached doughy father talked the entire game about something. They were super nice and great to sit with.

6. We mostly lived in Tourist Land, but we absolutely loved riding the subway and observing real Chicago peoples. It was so fun to wander around tourist world and hear 5 different languages and then descend to the El and watch regular people go along their day.

7. Chicago is fascinating. All the different cultures plus the history of the midwest - just very fascinating.

8. Us with the skyline in the background.
9. Us at the "Silver Bean" monument. It is really cool - reflects the skyline, as you see behind us.

10. I need to learn more about Asheville. I probably don't know any of the stuff they tell you on a tourist trolley ride.

My Former Life

2010-08-25T18:08:00.000-07:00

So it is that time of year again. Back to School. Our kids aren't school age yet, but I do love the Back to School time. My organizational self loves all the notebooks and Trapper Keepers and other cool stuff. And I am glad to return to a semi-regular routine. This summer was the first summer that we really had a genuinely good time as a family, as Joshua is now old enough that we don't have to pack half of the house to go somewhere for a few hours.

I wonder... do all former InterVarsity workers have flashbacks this time of year? As of September, I will have worked at my current job as long as I worked with IVCF (8 years). That's just weird. I can't think of a better word. Weird. I can't wrap my brain around the fact that InterVarsity truly is my "former life". I still vividly remember the beginning of the semester - having the same conversations with new students (where are you from, etc.), re-connecting with returning students, and working crazy hours. Mostly I remember being so so tired.

As much as I love my current job, it will never shape me as I.V. did. It will always be part of who I am. I admit that I am a bit sad that UNCA continues to go farther and farther away in my memory. I think I'll always love college students - they are just really fun and at an unbelievably "shape-able" time of life. And the travel bug in me is certainly thanks to the opportunities from InterVarsity. And I.V. staff are some of the best folks I have ever known.

Of course it would be remiss to not mention that InterVarsity first discipled me in the gospel, starting at App. State. Is that the right way to phrase it? Certainly it was the people and the resources (all those books I love to read) of I.V. that lived and explained the gospel - the organization was just the framework.

8 years out of InterVarsity. It's just weird.

The Help

2010-08-12T18:35:00.000-07:00

So here's my latest book plug. Read "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. That's really all I should say and that should be enough. However, since this book was THAT good, I will also give you some comments on it.

In no way can I claim to understand the life experience of a black housekeeper or a white twentysomething in the 1960s. However, I am so impressed with the author's ability to write from different voices and draw in the audience into the story of these women. It is fiction, but she paints a painfully accurate picture of the culture and relationships. And I wonder who I would have been in Jackson, MS. I probably wouldn't be Hilly, but I certainly wouldn't be Skeeter, either. I am way to commited to hoping people like and think well of me, so I doubt I would have had the guts to challenge "the Southern way of life". And I wonder if I would have noticed the hypocrisy of praying for missionaries while the "help" had to use a different bathroom.

I am convinced that the measure of truly good literature is when you continue to think about a book and you read it multiple times. For me, those fiction books are few: all Harry Potter and Narnia. I really do love those books. The Help will now be added to the list. I would like to re-read it NOW!

Seasons of Life

2010-08-08T16:40:00.000-07:00

A woman at our church is very ill with cancer and some folks from church (including Anthony) went over to their house and did a lot of yardwork. (I took the kids to the pool, and escaped the hard labor!)

When someone around you is walking a difficult path - a bad medical diagnosis, a rebellious child, broken marriage - it is normal to think about yourself. Probably because we're self focused people and because we wonder about the future. That evening Anthony and I were talking about these folks from church and all the decsions they have to make, and just how hard the future probably is going to be for them.

One of the interesting conclusions we came to is that we are very thankful to have people from all seasons of life in our church. I admit that sometimes I wish we were at a church where everyone always agreed with me and liked all the same songs and was my age. However, if this were the case, we would miss out on so much. I wouldn't have anyone to model what kind of person I want to be in 15 or 30 years. And there wouldn't be any older parents to ask advice when my kids are crazy. And we wouldn't have senior citizens who show us how to end well. You get my point.

So I'm thankful for reminders that seasons of life are good and there is much to learn and share and celebrate together.

Beach 2010

2010-07-27T12:06:00.000-07:00

Michelle has funny beach commentary on her blog and more pictures. But I know you just can't get enough of the us! Ha ha.

Welcome to the gun show.

See, Grandma and Aunt 'Chelle still did plenty of sitting in the sun. They were making disciples.

Reflections of our Beach Vacation

2010-07-19T07:31:00.000-07:00

1.) The 7 hour trip wasn't nearly as terrible as we expected. Cow Appreciation Day at Chik-Fil-A was an added bonus - free food!
2.) Digital cameras are the best thing ever. Take 1000 pictures and only 5 are worth anything, but it is perfectly acceptable to delete the 995 bad ones. (Now if only I could convince my mother of this.)
3.) Anna and Joshua think the waves are awesome (just like their parents). Well, except when they get smacked in the face. But after a few tears, they are back into the water.
4.) I do not play in the sand. Thankfully Anthony and Aunt Michelle and Uncle Pol do.
5.) It was surprisingly easy to be unplugged from my computer for a week.
6.) Putt Putt is chaos with 3 kids ages 4 and under. My mom had 3 holes in one, AND Joshua also had a hole in one - no kidding!
7.) To remember next year: check the hours of the amusement park rides. We had to kill 2 hours at Broadway on the Beach in order to avoid 3 very disappointed children.
8.) I was tired of the beach by Thursday. I know this is blasphemy in my family, but I was tired of applying sunscreen and VERY tired of that sandy feeling that invades everything after a few days.
9.) Re-programming the kids is no fun. Anna has had meltdowns over the smallest things, like the wrong kind of hummus and not getting to watch a movie all day long.
10.) Anthony and I have very similar re-entry strategies. We like to get everything taken care of right away. As a result, we worked like crazy on Saturday to clean the car, do laundry, sort through the mail, etc.

We look forward to the beach every year. Only 51 weeks away!

Now back to regularly scheduled programming.

Coming Soon...

2010-07-06T11:51:00.000-07:00

Our week at the beach is coming! We leave on Friday for a week of sunny wonderfulness mixed with sandy bathing suits and everything smelling like sunscreen.

But first comes the packing. I truly like making lists, so it packing isn't all that difficult for me. Anthony's job is to get it all into the car.

In one aspect, we are both quite delusional. Sitting on my dresser are lots of books that we plan to take. My books: Same Kind of Different as Me, Bloodroot, Counterfeit Gods, Pillars of the Earth, and Fellowship of the Ring (No, I haven't read it yet. Leave me alone.). Anthony's books: well, there are 4 and I've never heard of any of them. But they are written by the likes of Dean Koontz, Michael Crichton, and Stephen King (his newest is 1400 pages!).

I don't know why, but for some reason we both think we'll have all this free time at the beach. We seem to be in denial about how demanding 4 and 2 year olds can be.
Maybe I'll manage to get through one book. Anthony might read more since he has volunteered to stay inside during nap time - a.k.a prime skin cancer time. (But I'm betting he watches lots of cable TV.)

Pool Times, Pool Times

2010-07-04T11:55:00.000-07:00

The older the kids get, the more I appreciate how fun my summers were as a kid. Visiting North Dakota was always a highlight (see previous post), but I mostly remember swimming all the time. You can do that when you have a pool in your back yard, as we did - with a diving board and slide, no less!! Hopefully Anna and Joshua will also love the pool. It isn't as if I don't like it any more - I can't wait until I can teach them some of the awesome games Michelle and I played. And Mr. Non Pool Guy Anthony is totally coming around. It is hard not to when you see how much they like it! The only thing I didn't realize is that it is hard work to be the responsible party and keep up with the sunscreen and pack the lunch / snacks and be the changer of the dirty swim diaper (no fun!)

Joshua mostly just plays ball and sits on the side, which is much easier to handle than the kid who nose dives without fear!

Anna is turning into quite the swimmer. Her favorite thing to do is the slide, and her favorite way to pass the time is to throw the rings and chase them and repeat. I remember that game well.

Green Acres

2010-07-04T11:31:00.000-07:00

Some of my very first memories of visiting my grandparents in North Dakota are of their farm. In my mind's eye I can see their barn and livestock and remember Grandpa's old truck and how he'd shoot prairie dogs. I also remember riding fun things like tractors and 4 wheel drives and snowmobiles. Anthony's parents don't have a farm, but they have lots of land with crops and Paw Paw Dempsey has lots of cool mechanical vehicles. It may not be North Dakota, but I am so pleased that our kids will be exposed to "life on the land". They will make their own great memories.

Both kids drove PawPaw's tractor for a long time and they loved it!

Anthony drove this homemade go-kart around their property as a kid. He doesn't quite fit in it so well these days! (But it was really fun to watch him zoom around.)

Since I am a bit smaller, the kids could ride the go-kart with me. Again, they both thought it was the greatest thing. I would agree with them!

Theology of Toy Story

2010-06-28T16:15:00.000-07:00

So we took Anna to her first movie in the theater... Toy Story 3. She didn't know what to expect, and therefore wasn't overly excited at first. But I do believe she enjoyed herself. I did have one brilliant idea and we went to Barnes and Noble and read the Toy Story 3 book beforehand so she knew exactly what was going to happen. Therefore, nothing was scary. She knew about the mean toys and the burning trash and everything. That was probably my one really good idea for the year.

Spoiler alert...

The best part was at the end when Anthony and I were crying because Andy is leaving and giving his toys away, and Anna says, "Is this over yet?" Haha. She wasn't emotionally connected to Andy leaving for college - she was happy once the toys were safe.

I've always loved the deal of how Andy writes his name on the toys and they are HIS. They make a big deal about it in this movie, too. I've used the analogy a few times that God writes His name on us in the same way. Obviously that analogy breaks down a bit since God doesn't give away his children. However, there is another spin that I really like... Although it pains Andy greatly to give up his toys, especially Woody, he does it. He makes the sacrifice and it is at a cost to him - but he lets Bonnie have his toys, even though it hurts him. Ta Da! Toy Story has good theology all around! (just go with it.)

It is so easy to recommend this movie. Spend your money.

Our favorite parts:

Anna = Spanish Buzz
Anthony = Ken. In general he was funny, especially modeling the clothes (I remember having some of those outfits for my Ken!)

Dawn = the Buzz and Jessie dance to "You've Got a Friend in Me" in Spanish

10 Pool Observations

2010-06-22T12:53:00.000-07:00

3 weeks into being a pool mom...

1) Having the kids move for 2 hours is much preferred to them sitting on the couch watching a 2 hour movie.
2) If they move for 2 hours straight, they should be tired. However, this does not always work out. Why is that?
3) I am already tired of applying sunscreen every day. The spray and the face stick are nice inventions, though.
4) I do not like those water guns or being splashed. Yes, I am old.
5) Anna has already figured out that it is cooler to get concession stand food than to bring snacks from home. I remember this was true when I was growing up as well.
6) Swimming is hard work!! I did 2 lengths of the pool and thought I would die. Obviously I'm quite out of shape.
7) 2 piece bathing suits are very important - Anna takes many, many bathroom breaks.
8) Pool toys get lost quickly.
9) Supper doesn't appear out of nowhere, which is unfortunate when you stay until 6pm.
10) It is endless entertainment for kids.

Being a pool mom is wonderful. I totally love it.

Laser Eye Surgery # 3

2010-06-13T16:38:00.001-07:00

This past weekend I had corrective eye surgery for the third time. Yes, third time. The first was in 1998 with an "enhancement" later that year. And now, 12 years later, I needed another enhancement. For those of you who do not speak contact lens / glasses - let me explain... basically, my eyes were really messed up and I had surgery to correct this so I wouldn't have to wear contacts (which I'ver been doing since 4th grade). But when your eyes are as messed up as mine, they tend to regress and surgery is once again needed. About a year ago I started wearing glasses again, and although my glasses were cooler than the 1980s huge plastic saucers, it wasn't fun. Partly because my 2 year old repeatedly broke them but also partly because when I looked in the mirror I still saw the 7th grader with big glasses and braces and a stylish John Denver / Dorothy Hamill haircut. Funny how much I was affected by getting glasses as an adult. Don't worry, Anthony is very wonderful and assures me I don't look like that anymore. But those of you who lived through the 80's know the look I'm talking about! So now I'm back to no corrective lenses - but I'm sure I'll find plenty of other things to be insecure about!

The following is my opinion of LASIKvs. PRK, for those who might consider it in the future...
If you qualify for any corrective surgery, I think it is worth it. From what I figured out, it paid for itself in about 10 years. Use your Flex Plan spending and therefore don't pay taxes on the money.
Your eye doctor will tell you which procedure is best for your eyes. If LASIK is an option, I would lean toward it over PRK. My only reason is that PRK recovery is much longer. I had 2 rough days and several other days of being not quite right, not to mention the light sensitivity which means I walk around with sungalsses on all the time. If you are singe 20something, none of this is a big deal. But with 2 small children, recovery was more involved. Not insurmountable, but more involved. And I didn't enjoy the 2 days of to be expected "discomfort". LASIK has none of these issues - you can see the next morning without any problem.

So there you go, with my expert opinion.

And though I don't want to look like him, I do enjoy a John Denver song every once in a while. So there you go.

2 Natures War Within Me

2010-06-02T11:41:00.001-07:00

Don't expect me to be deep, despite the title. I'm not talking about good and evil or some intense philosophical subject or even an analysis of my need to be right all the time. This is just a brief confessional for me (Dawn).

My personal war is more along the lines of Ann Taylor vs. Target. Yuppies of the suburbs vs. Hippies of downtown Asheville. Free for alls vs. Coupon clippers. Lexus vs. Honda. You get the picture.

Here's the deal. I don't know which side I belong. Of course I'm Target chic, but how I'd love to easily afford Ann Taylor (not the LOFT and not the clearance sale). I've been a Honda owner for 12 years, but I'd switch in a minute given the money and freedom from guilt of having a luxury car.

What brought on this introspection? Opening the box to my golf shoes. That's right. Just seeing my golf shoes made me wish I could play golf and tennis all the time AND be a pool mom. As much as I love crazy Asheville and would never ever fit in the snobbery of a country club - part of me really wants to. I'm good at golf and I could be good again at tennis. And my love for the pool is well known. It really feels like 2 natures at war in myself - country club and golf vs. being a "regular" person who shops at Target . Of course what I'm talking about is an attitude - plenty of tennis players shop at Target. I just know that if I had means, I could easily fall into the trap of believing that stuff and busy-ness will fill me up. We all have something we'd rather choose that would give us "security". Apparently mine is wanting to belong to a country club. So I guess that's why it is a good thing we'll never afford it!

However, I do get to be a pool mom this summer! Woo hoo!

Crazy Boy and Sweet Girls

2010-05-28T17:41:00.000-07:00

This Monday we had our first Dollywood visit of the season. I won't go on and on about how much fun Dollywood is, but I would like to share about how hilarious Joshua is at Dollywood. We weren't sure how he'd do with the rides, but he was great - we didn't even go on any of the kiddie rides that just go in circles. The best were the water rapids (he looked like a wet rat) and this free fall type ride. I don't know how this qualifies for a kid ride, but they let him on. It is scary! It goes straight up really high, and comes down and goes back up - like 7 times!

And this is what he thought of it. Funny kid.

Anna's good buddies, Abby and Caroline joined us. The girls had a great day - and NO meltdowns (well, until after we left the park), and they all loved all the rides. Doesn't everyone want to go on the teacups immediately after eating lunch? Blech. I'm sure I did once upon a time, but not so fun as a 37 year old.

More Dollywood visits to come this summer!

LOST, Harry Potter, and Friends

2010-05-25T12:20:00.001-07:00

It is well established that I watch too much TV (though maybe not as much as my pastor or my husband, as they would both admit). This was especially true when we had cable, and before children were around to ask questions about it. However, there isn't very much in pop culture that I actually believe with all my heart that people should invest in. But now I do have a top 3 where I've spent a large portion of my time over the past 15 years and am willing to recommend: Friends, Harry Potter, and LOST.

Friends: Well, it is just funny. There are lots of excellent sitcoms, but I just like this one the best. It has so many great quotes (We were on a break!) and hilarious commentary on life in general (dating, parents, getting a job, holidays). I get so excited when I randomly find a Friends episode on TV. You should watch it and hope to be able to quote it as much as I can.

LOST: As it just ended, and I'm still reeling from the very bizarre finale, I am not sure what to say. I do know this: it was one of the best television shows ever made and raised the bar for serial dramas. Flash Forwards and Back stories and time travel and action and so many literary allusions. And in the midst of it, they treated the audience like we are smart people, and I appreciate that. I mean really, you have to be quite smart just get Sawyer's nicknames for people!
The final 15 minutes were a bit underwhelming for me at first, but I'm adjusting to it all, because I'm reconciling that the writers were trying to point out how all these survivors needed to connect with all their friends for "heaven" to exist for them. I'm not saying I agree with it theologically, but I do affirm their emphasis on love and sacrifice.
Anthony loves that I was so into a science fiction show, but I just tell him it is about the relationships and their connections. Yes, this is worth your time.

Harry Potter: This is the only place where I will use the word convert. I think everyone needs to be converted into the world of Harry Potter. It is that good. If you hate Friends and think LOST is annoying, you should still try Harry Potter, and you should read all 7 books. The movies DO NOT count.
The world that J.K. Rawling created is just amazing. Magic has always been a literary device to create other worlds, but she does it in a way unlike any other. I've never known a story and characters to develop so well and conclude with themes that I so deeply affirm. Great beach read (but not for anyone under 13!).

LOST and Harry Potter have many similar qualities: a whole new world for the characters to exist in, relationship driven, true good guys vs. true bad guys, and of course the end of choosing to sacrifice out of love for others. I wish the LOST ending had been more definitive, as the Harry Potter ending was.

At the Ol' Ball Game

2010-05-16T18:22:00.001-07:00

Since I had an eye appointment (I get to have surgery in a few weeks! Hooray!), we visited SC for a couple day. The Greenville Drive is a minor league team for teh Red Sox, so here we are decked out. A TV reporter even took a picture of us, but I think it was just because our kids are cute.

Grandma had much fun explaining it all the Anna and Joshua.

In other news, Joshua is moving into a big boy bed tonight. Anthony and I are not very excited about this, as we remember the ups and downs we had with Anna. So we have many long nights ahead, but the bigger deal is that our little guy just keeps hitting milestones and it really is bittersweet.

Mother's Day 2010

2010-05-09T16:37:00.000-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to me! It was quite a nice day, my only complaint was that it was chilly and windy and thus I could not sit outside and read a book. So instead I had introvert time while shopping at Kohls. (I had a 15% coupon, after all. And I even bought a swimsuit!) I'm assuming Mother's Day will grow on me as a holiday - right now the kids don't really get it. But in 15 years when they'll be too busy for me, I'll have higher expectations of them.

The quote of the day was by Anna after supper of a yummy chicken pasta dish Anthony made: "Mommy, next Mother's Day can we have grilled cheese?" Haha.

Here is our attempt to get a picture by our beautiful blooming flowers.

Turning 2

2010-05-05T17:04:00.000-07:00

Joshua's birthday was a bit overshadowed by the Nashville flood, but here are a few pictures. Joshua's personality and his physical abilities seem to have taken off in the past few months. I'm not sure it is a good thing when his pediatrician says, "he's a little daredevil, isn't he?", but that seems to be what we have for now. He goes down all slides head first, he throws all balls at a scary force, and he runs break neck speed anywhere. The flip side of all this is that he eats a lot of dirt, has broken my glasses, and refuses to hold hands when walking. Everything is a double edged sword, I know. He also seems to be more extreme than Anna was at this age - he hugs and snuggles more than she did, but he also gets angry so very quickly. I'm not sure what all this means for the future. Such an adventure!

Birthday boy who refused to eat his cupcake.

Mostly Josh and Liam just wanted to play trains.

I know Mom and Michelle will love that the ghetto school bus made it into the birthday blog, but I like the picture! Grandma with her beer (that was later spilled) and Granddaddy with his silly ballon to entertain the boys.

I just had to include this sad little face. Anna and Liam both had their breakdown moments where they didn't understand why Joshua got to open all the presents.